By Win Bates, Brockton Enterprise staff writer

BROCKTON- The last go-around with the Cardinal Spellman High School girls basketball team is here for senior point guard Cori O'Kane, and she hopes to make it something special.

O'Kane, a resident of Bourne, will serve as a captain for the Cardinals for the second straight year and will direct the team's offense for the third straight season (she was a part-time starter at point guard as a freshman).

O'Kane knows she made the right decision to come to Spellman for her high school years despite the distance between Bourne and Brockton.

"I knew coach (Pat) Lamb from playing for him in AAU, and he thought it would be a good fit for me and he was right," said O'Kane. "It's been even better than I thought. From my first day here, I liked the atmosphere around the school. It's a family atmosphere, and it helped strengthen my religious views. The spirit is real good in the school, too, especially for our basketball games.

"It has gone by way too quickly, and I really want to enjoy my last year at Spellman. It has been a lot of fun, and playing for the basketball team has been something special. We've got a good team and we hope we can have a great season."

Great seasons are nothing new for Spellman girls basketball. As a freshman, O'Kane became a starter late in the season and the Cardinals advanced to the Div. 3 South Sectional title game for the fourth straight year before losing to Case.

The next year, the Cardinals avenged that loss on their way to the Div. 3 South title, and they added the Eastern Mass. title at the TD Banknorth Garden with a comeback win over Swampscott. They came up just short in the state championship game, losing in overtime to perennial Western Mass. power Quaboag Regional at the DCU Center in Worcester.

"That was just an incredible run and great to be a part of, playing at the Garden and playing in Worcester for the state title," said O'Kane. "It was nerve-wracking at times, but it was also a lot of fun."

Last year, the Cardinals advanced to the sectional semifinals before losing to fellow Catholic Central League foe Archbishop Williams, the Cardinals' biggest rival. The Bishops went from there to win the state championship.

O'Kane notes that the Cardinals and Bishops should fight it out again for league supremacy, along with Arlington Catholic.

"Archies has just about everybody back from last year and so do we, so those should be really big games," said O'Kane. "We beat them twice during the season last year, but they got us in the tournament. It's always been a big rivalry since I've been here."

As a point guard, O'Kane has the right mentality in that she thinks pass first rather than looking for her shot, and Lamb thinks she's the perfect point guard for his team.

"We're normally pretty methodical in our offense, so having a good point guard who can do what Cori does is very important for us," said Lamb. "She is very good at moving the ball around and getting it to the right player. She controls the tempo on offense, sees the floor very well and makes good decisions.

"She has been a captain for us for two years, and she's more of a quiet leader who leads by example rather than talking a lot. She believes a lot in the team aspect and team chemistry, and makes sure all of the players are involved and feel a part of the team."

O'Kane admits she enjoys playing the point, where she has been since her early days of AAU basketball under Lamb.

"My first year of AAU, I played more shooting guard, but since then, I've pretty much always been at the point and I feel comfortable there," said O'Kane, who averaged seven points and nine assists last season. "I like to have the ball in my hands and be able to distribute it to my teammates. I like being the quarterback out there and having control of what happens."

Neither O'Kane nor Lamb are talking about championships the Cardinals could win this season with key returnees like Reilly Poirier, Jade Santos, Alyssa Schlehuber and Julianne Barry expected to help O'Kane in the quest for success.

"We just want to play to our potential, and whatever that means for us is fine," said O'Kane. "I'd love to see us go real far in the tournament, and I think we have the team to do it, but you never know what can happen."

As Lamb put it, "I know you're going to hear people talking about league championships and state championships, but you won't hear that coming from us.

"I just want to see us go out and play to our potential every night we go out there, and if we do that, we will take whatever comes. I've told the players that and I think they believe in it."

When the season ends, O'Kane is toying with the idea of going out for softball for athletic director Mike Gerrish's perennial power, and then doing lifeguard duty this summer before beginning her college career next fall at Stonehill College on a full basketball scholarship.

"I might play softball, I don't know yet," said O'Kane. "I'm pretty sure I'm going to be a lifeguard somewhere next summer. I've taken the classes and tests, and I am certified, and I love swimming and the beach.

"I was offered the scholarship last September at Stonehill and accepted last March. I looked at BU and Binghamton, but once I visited Stonehill, I just really liked the campus, and I think I'm really going to like it there. I played with (former Spellman and current Stonehill standout) Kelsey Simonds in AAU and for a year here, and I really like the team."

And the Skyhawks are probably going to like their new point guard just fine, too, after her last go-around at Cardinal Spellman.