Designated Defender Does the Job, Costa Mesa Doesn’t

Andee Whalen’s father wanted a son, so that explains her first name.

She wears black shoes and black socks, because “everyone says I look tougher wearing them.”

Welcome to the world of Whalen, where you’re assigned to defend an opposing basketball team’s best player and do your best to keep her under her scoring average.

Whalen, a 5-foot-7 forward for Sacramento St. Francis, had a big job Saturday in the State Division III girls’ final at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. She had to guard Costa Mesa’s high-scoring forward, Olivia DiCamilli, in the biggest game of the season.

So Whalen pushed and shoved DiCamilli whenever she got near the basket. She was so effective in the first quarter that DiCamilli didn’t touch the ball until there was only 1 minute 33 seconds remaining.

She shadowed DiCamilli the rest of the way and frustrated her so much that DiCamilli managed only eight points in a 50-43 loss. What’s more, DiCamilli’s last basket came with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter.

“Andee Whalen did the most outstanding defensive job of the season on a great player,” St. Francis Coach Dave Parsh said. “We knew DiCamilli had scored 50% of Costa Mesa’s points during the playoffs, and that we had to limit her production to under 50% if we hoped to win.

“We’ve put Andee on the best players this year because we know she’ll rise to the occasion. We gave her a little weak-side help, but for the most part, Andee did the job.”

DiCamilli, who averages 20 points, took only nine shots and described the final game of an outstanding four-year career as a letdown.

“They were the most physical opponent we’ve played,” she said. “They did a good job of denying me the ball. They were good, tough defenders.”

Costa Mesa Coach Lisa McNamee saw things differently.

“They got Olivia roughed up by pushing and shoving her,” McNamee said. “The first couple of times down the court, they roughed her up, and the refs weren’t calling anything.

“I thought Whalen did a good job defensively, but then we didn’t set any screens for Olivia, and the refs weren’t calling anything.”

DiCamilli did give Costa Mesa its only lead, 9-8, with 1:33 left in the first quarter, but Whalen saw to it that she wouldn’t be a factor thereafter.

“Everybody else helped me out,” Whalen said. “It wasn’t just me. I would get screened out, and somebody else would pick her up. But you could anticipate the passes coming to her by looking into the other girls’ eyes.

“Coach told me, ‘Don’t let her get the ball at all,’ so I kept a hand in front of her the whole game. She’s a great player, so I feel good about shutting her down today.”

Whalen’s great defense didn’t surprise her teammates. Said St. Francis reserve forward Kellie Campbell: “Andee is a girl’s nightmare.”