Sophomore center Jess Carney scored 12 points as the Westport girls basketball team lost to Case 51-42, at home on Friday night. The loss drops their record to 0-2 in Mayflower League play.

The Wildcats had an uphill battle from the start. The team played just six players all game long and was without Head Coach Michael Ponte who had a conflict in his schedule.

“We don’t have a lot of subs,” said team captain Jess Carney. “But we are all in pretty good shape. We are a fast team. We are going to work hard.”

Four of the team’s starters are eighth graders and have an average height of about 5’ 2” tall. Despite their age and size, the pesky Cats played strong defense and shot well early in the game.

“We are young. We are small. And pretty goofy,” said Carney. “But, all of us really love the sport. We are going to out work and we are going to out run every other girl that ’s bigger than us.”

Carney played tough at center throughout the game. She scored 7 points in the first half and kept the team in the game early by hitting layups and getting to the line. Carney hit a jumper just inside the arch to tie the game for the Wildcats 25-25.

“She is our leader out there,” said Assistant Coach Jen Gargiulo. “She may not be a senior, But she leads like a senior. The girls rally around her. They feed off her energy. I’m really proud of the way she is playing.”

Eighth graders Dakota Azevedo and Leah Sylvain took turns running the offense. The undersized backcourt duo consistently penetrated the lane and hit a pair of three pointers to keep the Wildcats in the game.

Sylvain scored 7 points in the half and Azevedo had 5 points.

In the third quarter, Westport hung tough and tied the score again at 28-28 on a jumper by Sylvain.

But Case found their range from the three-point line and began dropping threes for a 34-30 lead with 2:36 to play in the third quarter.

Case kept the run going and scored five more for a 39-30 lead. Acevedo threw up a three and hit it to make it 39-33.

Slyvain stole the ball at half court and took it in for a layup to make it 39-35 to end the quarter.

Carney hit a jumper at the start of the fourth quarter, to get Wildcats within two, 39-37 with 7:46 to play in the game. Eighth grade forward Abbey Zuber scored 5 of her 9 points in the fourth quarter for the Wildcats.

“She’s our sixth man off the bench,” said coach Gargiulo. “She plays her heart out. She plays good defense and has great ball movement. She played strong all night.”

The Wildcats who lost to Fairhaven 38-35 in game one, tired midway through the fourth quarter and Case took advantage, going on an 11-point run to make the score 51-39 with 4:18 to play.

Late in the quarter Sylvain drove the lane, made the layup and drew the foul for a three-point play to make the score 51-42.

“I’m very proud of these girls,” said coach Gargiulo. “We are a young unit. But the girls rise to the occasion. They work well as a team. They play strong defense.”

“It’s humbling to watch a young group of girls play this strong together,” said the coach.

Scoring by quarter

Westport 10 15 10 9

Case 15 10 14 15

Next up: The Wildcats play Diman on Friday at 6:30 p.m.