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HAVERHILL — Prior to last night, the Whittier girls basketball team did not have a lot to feel good about. After a blistering 8-0 start to the season, the Wildcats struggled, losing five of their last eight games. But after a hard fought 54-48 win against a formidable Shawsheen club in the state vocational tournament semifinals, Whittier’s spirits are sky high. The boys team feels the same as it also advanced and will host streaking Greater Lawrence Tech today (5 p.m.) for the state vocational large school crown. “It’s huge to beat a team like that who we have such a rivalry with,” said Whittier girls coach Kevin Bradley, whose club split with the Rams (17-4) in their previous two meeting. Whittier (16-7) will play at Greater New Bedford today at 4 p.m. in the state vocational large title game. The host Bears (18-3) beat Blackstone Valley yesterday. Senior forward Christina Medley led Whittier with 17 points. Senior guard Catherine Roche chipped in 12 points including several clutch free throws which sealed the deal in the fourth quarter. “I was looking to get open and get around the box-and-1 (defense), which is how they stopped me last time,” said Medley. “Tonight I tried to run off my teammates and drive to the hoop more.” Whittier also used a halfcourt zone defense for one of the first times this season. “We went to a zone in the second half and I think that was the big difference in the game,” said Bradley. “It slowed them down more than they are used to since they like to play fast paced like we do.” Whittier took the lead for good with five minutes to go on a Medley bucket. “We have such a big rivalry with them,” said Bradley. “I compare it North Carolina and Duke but at a smaller level. We play each other hard during the regular season, and we know we will see each other later in the year. We love playing them because we just beat the daylights out of each other.” If the two teams were to face off again it would be deep in the state tournament, something that Medley thinks is very possible. “We just want to win no matter who we face,” said Medley. “We always say, ‘Go for gold.”

Whittier's Kayla Riley scored at the buzzer to force OT but the Cats, who had five girls foul out, lost to North Reading 77-68.

Whittier shook off a slow start, closing strong for a 52-40 win over Greater Lowell. Michaela Martin drove the offense with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 4 steals, while Catherine Roche and Josie Sanchez (seven rebounds) turned in good defensive efforts for the Wildcats.

HAVERHILL — Coming into the season, one of the most important things that Whittier girls basketball coach Kevin Bradley stressed to his team was getting off to a good start to games and dictating the game’s pace. Yesterday afternoon, the exact opposite happened and it proved to be the difference in a 69-63 loss to Shawsheen.

Freshmen Andrea Terranova (team-high 14 points) and Samnell Vonleh (10 points) were the driving forces behind Whittier's 68-45 victory over Minuteman.

Whittier's Christina Medley scored her 1,000th career point in a heartbreaker against Whittier.

Adriana Joe had a fantastic defensive game as she shutdown Lynn Tech's top scorer in Whittier's 54-26 win over Lynn Tech.  Joe had eight rebounds in the win. Andrea Terranova led all scorers with 15 points and five steals.

Abby Galloway-Burke 12 rebound.  Amanda Petrow 12 rebounds. Molly Condon 14 points 11 rebounds.

Fresh off her 27-point effort Samnell Vonleh dominated Lowell Catholic with 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in just three quarters of action of the Whittier Tech 53-39 win.

Christina Medley scored 28 points, including netting five 3-pointers. She also added nine rebounds and five blocks but Whittier girls basketball lost 56-52 to Lexington.