Julia Dank of Ward Melville drives past Kaitlyn Brewer of...

Julia Dank of Ward Melville drives past Kaitlyn Brewer of Bay Shore during a Suffolk League II girls basketball game on Wednesday at Ward Melville. Credit: Peter Frutkoff

Julia Dank exited the locker room after halftime determined to make a game-changing difference. . And it took the senior just 15 seconds to do just that. 

Dank sunk a three-pointer 15 ticks into the second half to give Ward Melville its first lead of the afternoon. The Patriots never trailed again en route to a 40-37 home victory over Bay Shore in a Suffolk League II girls basketball game  Wednesday. Ward Melville trailed 17-16 at halftime before Dank’s three-pointer.

“I think that really got everyone going,” Dank said. “I knew that was what I needed to do after being down one and it brought the team together. I think that really got the momentum going.”

The senior continued making pivotal three-pointers in the second half, scoring eight of her team-high 13 points in the fourth quarter and eight of her team's 14 fourth-quarter points. Moments after Bay Shore’s Leahlani Ellis' triple cut the Patriots' lead to one, Dank hit a three to give Ward Melville a 29-25 lead with 6:53 left in the game. 

Dank sank another three-pointer less than two minutes later to give the Patriots a 32-27 lead with 5:20 left.

“When she gets that look in her eye, it’s special,” Ward Melville coach Kate Gordon said. 

Dank also went 2-for-2 from the foul line with 18 seconds left in the fourth quarter to expand the Patriots' lead to 40-34.

“I said in the locker room after the game that today was Dank’s day,” Gordon said. “She put us on her back and she rode us there.”

Jenna Greek added nine points and 10 rebounds and Addison Dellaporta and Jaclyn Engel each added seven for Ward Melville (7-7, 3-3). Shani Clark had 13 points and 13 rebounds for Bay Shore (7-6, 3-2).

The Patriots closed the final 4:25 of the second quarter on a 7-0 run and outscored Bay Shore, 10-5, in the third to take a 26-22 lead into the final period. Clark made a deep three-pointer at the buzzer to close the third quarter, but Ward Melville retained its lead throughout the fourth, thanks in large part to Dank.  .

“She’s a student of the game and she really loves playing,” Gordon said. “First one in the gym, last to leave and you can’t ask for more than that from a senior and someone who wants to win. And it trickles down, we all want to win.”

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