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By ERIC BENEVIDES Sports writer PAWTUCKET --- It’s hard to believe, but the last time Tolman High kicked off a season with a 5-2 mark, it was the 1990-91 season and current Tolman coach Tammy Drape was a junior standout on that team.
On Tuesday night, Drape saw the current Tigers match that excellent start by rolling past crosstown Division II-Central rival Shea High at the Donaldson Gym.
A season-high 26 points from junior guard Leanne Fanning, an excellent all-around game by junior guard Amy Fernandes, and a stellar defensive effort that helped force 31 turnovers were the key ingredients to the Tigers’ 44-27 triumph.
“We’ve had a very good start, but we still have a lot of work to do,” added Drape, whose team is also 2-0 in division action. “Every game we play, I see some improvements, but I still see some more things we need to work on.”
Fanning, who was a point shy from matching her career-best in scoring (set last season against Scituate High), bagged four three-pointers and netted 16 of her points in the second half, and Fernandes did a little bit of everything, contributing eight points, eight steals, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
But the Tigers’ defense, which has surrendered 36 or fewer points in five of their games, drew a lot of praise from Drape. Eighteen of Shea’s turnovers came off steals by Tolman, with Fanning adding five thefts and sophomore Maria Lopera coming off the bench to add three.
“We stress defense in our program,” said Drape. “We’re trying to get to that next step and we’re learning how to work together, and I want everything to come through our defense. And that worked today. When you allow only 27 points, you obviously have a good shot at winning.”
The Tigers’ defense was at its best in the first half. They held the Raiders to a baseline jumper by Rebecca Taylor in the first 9:25 of the game en route to a 13-2 command that was also sparked by the outside shooting of Fernandes and Fanning.
The Tigers expanded their lead to 22-7 at the break, and with 12:10 to play in the game, they were ahead by a 33-15 score. But when their offense went ice-cold from the floor for the next seven-plus minutes, Shea answered back with the next 10 points to make it an eight-point contest with 7:33 to go.
Tolman eventually got back on the board with 5:07 to play on a long jumper by Fanning, and that launched a string of 10 straight points by the hosts.
The Raiders’ offense, meanwhile, went through a seven-plus minute drought of its own, and by the time the visitors got back on the board on a putback of an offensive rebound by Veronica DosSantos, the final buzzer went off.
“We made a good run, but we just ran out of gas,” admitted Shea coach John Lickert, whose team is 2-4 overall. “We don’t have a big bench and we don’t play too many kids, so what are you going to do? But it was good to see the kids come back. They’re getting better and they’re working hard.”
Lickert, like Drape, was pleased with his team’s defensive effort. The Tigers committed 27 turnovers, and junior Shanice Fortes and sophomore Janelle DeBarros, and DeBarros each had three steals to lead Shea defensively.
“We held everyone we played to under 52 (points),” said Lickert, “but when you cant score more than 30, it’s tough.”
DosSantos had eight points and seven rebounds to lead the Raiders’ attack, and Fortes also shined on the glass with eight rebounds. Sophomore Jenna Ayala also netted eight points and played well on the boards for the Tigers.
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