SOUTH BERWICK — Lexi McGee had been struggling offensively, her shots not falling. But when the Marshwood High junior guard opened Thursday night’s game by hitting a 3-pointer, it gave her the boost she needed.
McGee scored 17 points, hitting three 3-pointers, as the Hawks roared past Falmouth 62-47 in a Class A South basketball game.
Marshwood, which won its third consecutive game to improve to 8-2, opened a 13-point lead in the first quarter and stayed in control throughout. Falmouth, which won just two games a year ago, lost its second game in three nights to drop to 6-4.
“We were concerned because we knew they were playing well,” said Marshwood Coach Steve Freeman. “We came out the other night, against (Traip Academy), and played really well early and were hoping it would carry over. And it did.
“We came out and I couldn’t have been happier with how they played to start the game and, really, the entire first half.”
Marshwood, using its size and experience, forced the Yachtsmen into 14 first-half turnovers and controlled rebounds on both ends of the court. It was 39-19 at halftime.
After McGee’s opening 3-pointer, Anna Turgeon (14 points) scored inside for Falmouth. But the Hawks got the next 10 points, forcing five turnovers. Angelina Bisson hit two 3-pointers in that stretch, her second making it 13-2.
McGee said hitting her first shot “definitely gave us a boost. I guess it got us on track. I just said, ‘Relax and go out and have fun.'”
The Hawks had a balanced offense. Casey Perry and Kayla Goodwin each scored 13 points, while Bisson had eight.
That’s how the Hawks play when they’re at their best. Their two losses were to York (66-38) and Kennebunk (43-33), games in which they struggled to get anything going offensively.
But the combination of Perry and Goodwin inside and Marshwood’s outside shooters – the Hawks hit six 3-pointers – was too much for Falmouth.
“Being able to drive and also have our shooters out there kind of made them play me 1-on-1 instead of double-teaming,” said Perry, who missed most of last year because of a shoulder injury. “They had to cover Lexi, they had to cover Lina. All our shooters were shooting pretty well tonight.”
The game served as a learning experience for a young Falmouth squad, which was missing starter Lauren Welch (illness). Falmouth did cut a 25-point deficit to 14 midway through the fourth.
“We just battle all game long, we don’t give up,” said Falmouth Coach Dawn Armandi. “If we want to compete with the best, we have to be able to play 32 minutes or more.
“And tonight, I felt like we were going to get run off the floor. So I kept them out there and made them play the whole game.”
For Marshwood, the eight wins is a little surprising, considering the Hawks graduated 14 players from last year’s regional semifinalist.
“To have this brand new team and be playing like this is awesome,” said Perry. “It means that we can keep getting better.”
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