Whitehall’s girls basketball team’s 51-32 victory over William Allen on Tuesday night was a far cry from the Zephyrs’ first victory over the Canaries, a game won by just six points three weeks ago.

“I thought we were much more patient, we worked the ball around a lot more, and we got the ball inside,” said Whitehall coach Will Robertson. “The last time we played Allen, we didn’t do a good job getting the ball inside. We made a conscious effort tonight, and it made a huge difference. We executed very well. We made shots, and that came from our execution.”

The Zephyrs took control from the beginning and led 25-13 at halftime.

Whitehall guard MJ Dunbar forced multiple turnovers in the first half, and the Zephyrs capitalized offensively.

Dunbar intercepted a pass under the Canaries’ basket and passed the ball to Ciara Rogers who scored on a layup. Dunbar scored on her own layup after making a steal shortly after connecting on a 3-pointer to open the second quarter.

“I just read their eyes and see where they’re going, and if they’re not controlling the ball well, I flip it out of their hand and keep going,” Dunbar said. “Allen is a very aggressive team, so we had to not get frustrated within ourselves and just play our game. It’s a mental game too.”

Rogers drained two 3s in the third quarter, and Bella Fonzone hit a 3 along with Nya Brown.

“Bella and Ciara had a really good night tonight, so I was happy for them,” said Dunbar. “We played really good as a team, too, so it was fun.”

Rogers and Fonzone made the most of their night, which was Senior Night for the Zephyrs.

“I think what we saw tonight was senior leadership on the floor,” said Coach Robertson. “When we were up, rather than forcing the ball, they were the ones who got the ball back outside, settled everybody down, and they took control, calling the out-of-bounds plays, and talking to the other players. They’re incredibly smart women. They know exactly what they want to do. They have good rapport with the coaches and the kids, and they’re good leaders.”

Nine of Allen’s 12 points in the third quarter came on 3s by Persea Rogers and Layla Sweatte, but while Whitehall had the game well in hand, 41-25, by the end of the third, the Zephyrs pushed ahead.

Brown opened the fourth quarter with a 3, and Jade Alvarez scored after missing the second of two free throws when Rogers grabbed the rebound.

Appropriately, the senior Fonzone, scored the last points of the game.

This Friday, the Zephyrs will travel to Emmaus to take on the Hornets.