The last thing Sister Maria Pares was told at Roswell Park after Tuesday’s chemotherapy treatment was “no stress.”

While she didn’t exactly follow doctor’s orders, the Sacred Heart coach did direct her team to a satisfying 45-40 win over Nichols. The showdown for first place in the Monsignor Martin Association was played before an estimated 400 at Villa Maria.

Sacred Heart used its full court man-to-man to hold Nichols to a season- low 40 points. The Sharks improved to 11-0, 4-0 while adding to an impressive string of triumphs this season that also includes titles of the Pastor- Cooper Memorial, Jamestown and Fredonia tournaments. The league loss was the first for Nichols (6-3, 4-1), the defending MMA champions.

Not only did Sacred Heart and Nichols enter the game 1-2 in The Buffalo News large school poll, they were also the top-ranked teams in the New York State poll in Class A.

Nichols never trailed through the first three quarters although it never led by more than six.

Sacred Heart had two players find their stroke at just the right time. Senior Alycia Pontello nailed a midrange jumper at the buzzer to end the first quarter at 9-9. Then she scored the first six points of the second quarter to keep her team within a shot of the lead.

The fourth quarter started with senior Kacey Bougard scoring her team’s first eight points. Her three-pointer to start the quarter gave the Sharks the lead for good at 32-30. Bougard finished with 13 points while Pontello netted 12.

Sophomore Christina Healy scored the Sharks’ last eight points of the game. She made four straight free throws in the final 12 seconds as the student cheering section roared with approval.

Sacred Heart, using good ball movement and shot selection, had a 16-point fourth quarter. Nichols coach Bob Torgalski said his team began to tire and they couldn’t answer.

Nichols’ Moriah Camp made the most of her touches with 15 points, eight blocks and 10 rebounds. The Vikings tried all game to get the ball in to their 6-foot-1 senior center, but Sacred Heart overplayed her and the entry passes didn’t get through.

“We were a little tentative [guarding Camp] at first but we played help defense and had to talk,” said Sacred Heart guard Natalie Coppola, who had five steals. “We started to get more confidence as the game went on and started making our shots.”

Nichols converted just 12 of 21 free throws while Sacred Heart was 10 of 18.