BOX SCORE
Falmouth 52 Leavitt 38
L- 13 6 6 13- 38
F- 16 12 19 5- 52
L- Bowie 3-0-7, Chaisson 2-2-6, Gilbert 0-6-6, White 1-3-6, Noniewicz 2-0-5, Ennis 1-0-3, Leavitt 1-0-3, Redstone 1-0-2
F- Ginevan 5-3-13, Birks 4-0-10, Joyner 3-0-8, Welch 3-1-7, Rogers 2-1-5, Turgeon 2-1-5, Bynion 2-0-4
3-pointers:
L (5) Bowie, Ennis, Leavitt, Noniewicz, White 1
F (4) Birks, Joyner 2
Turnovers:
L- 28
F- 19
FTs
L: 11-16
F: 6-13
FALMOUTH—Falmouth’s girls’ basketball team doesn’t have a lot of size or experience, but the Yachtsmen have made the most of their youth and talent this winter.
And they’re not done yet.
Wednesday afternoon, Falmouth welcomed Leavitt in a makeup game and led nearly all the way en route to another victory.
The Yachtsmen trailed just once, for all of 57 seconds, then opened up a 16-13 advantage after one quarter, as freshman Sloane Ginevan and Anna Turgeon each scored five points.
Falmouth would score 14 straight points in one stretch and led, 28-19, at halftime.
The Hornets tried to rally in the third period, but the Yachtsmen embarked on another big run, this one 15-0, to take a commanding 47-25 advantage, then finished off their 52-38 victory.
Ginevan nearly had a triple-double, as she led the way with 13 points, nine steals and eight assists, and Falmouth improved to 8-6, dropping Leavitt to 3-9 in the process.
“Our team just played together really well,” said Ginevan. “As we get farther into our season, we recognize each other’s strengths and weaknesses and we move the ball great. Everyone played their role. Everyone drives and passes. We have great team chemistry going.”
Resurgence
Falmouth struggled through a 2-16 campaign and missed the tournament a year ago, but this winter, with Dawn Armandi back on the bench and the roster bolstered by some exciting new players, the Yachtsmen have thrived and returned to contention.
Falmouth made an immediate statement with a 45-37 home win over Kennebunk on Opening Night. After falling at two-time defending Class A state champion Greely, 79-41, the Yachtsmen beat visiting Biddeford (51-22), visiting Cape Elizabeth (44-32), visiting Mt. Ararat (39-31) and host Westbrook (53-35) to cap the 2019 portion of their schedule. After a hard-fought 56-52 loss at Brunswick, Falmouth downed visiting Westbrook (54-45). The Yachtsmen then lost at York (53-47), at Marshwood (62-47), at Massabesic (54-52) and at Kennebunk (51-31) before bouncing back Monday with a 71-25 home win over Morse.
Leavitt, which went 5-14 in 2018-19, is in a battle just to make the playoffs this winter. The Hornets started the year 0-3 and entered with a mark of 3-8.
The teams didn’t meet last season.
This contest was scheduled to be played last week, but bad weather moved it to Wednesday, where Falmouth carried play.
Leavitt got the game’s first point when senior Taylor White made a free throw 24 seconds in, but with 6:39 left in the opening stanza, Turgeon took a pass from Ginevan and made a layup to put the Yachtsmen on top to stay.
After junior Lauren Welch hit a jumper, Welch stole the inbounds pass and made a layup for a 6-1 Falmouth lead, but sophomore Emma Chaisson countered with an old-fashioned three-point play (layup, foul, free throw).
Ginevan scored her first point on a free throw, but a long jumper from Chaisson pulled the Hornets within a point, 7-6.
Ginevan set up Turgeon for a layup, but two free throws junior Kayleigh Gilbert made it a one-point game.
After Ginevan finished junior Cam Birks’ feed and made a layup, a putback from junior Emelia Bowie cut the deficit to one again.
A leaner from sophomore Izzy Bynion and a free throw from Turgeon gave Falmouth a little breathing room, but a 3-point shot from sophomore Delaney Ennis pulled Leavitt within one final time before Ginevan stole the ball and made a layup just before the horn to put the Yachtsmen up, 16-13, after eight minutes.
Falmouth then built on that last basket and opened up a healthy lead in the second period.
Ginevan started the new quarter the way she ended the first, by stealing the ball and making a layup.
“Defense is definitely our strong suit,” Ginevan said. “We’re a small team, but we’re athletic and we get after it. Defense leads to offense and that’s how we can win.”
“We’re trying to get out and push the ball,” Armandi said. “That seems to be what we do well, get out and get layups. It’s nice to have Sloane and Cam and Anna and Lauren, everyone be aggressive and cause turnovers. We’re not a big squad, so we have to use our athleticism.”
Ginevan added two free throws, Birks hit a 3-pointer, Ginevan fed Birks for a fastbreak layup, then sophomore Isabella Joyner buried a 3 to put Falmouth on top, 28-13, with 3:42 remaining in the half.
With 2:12 to go, a layup from Bowie snapped the Yachtsmen’s 14-0 run and the Hornets’ 6-minute, 12-second scoring drought. White added a 3 and Chaisson sank a free throw to pull Leavitt within 28-19 at the break.
Early in the second half, Welch got the scoring with a floater, but Gilbert countered with two free throws.
Birks made a layup after a steal, but again, two Gilbert foul shots cut the deficit to nine, 32-23.
Falmouth then scored 15 straight points to end all doubt.
The run started when Ginevan fed Bynion for a layup. Sophomore Olivia Rogers then converted a three-point play, Ginevan made a layup after a steal, Joyner took a pass from Ginevan in transition and sank a 3-pointer, then Birks canned a 3 and Rogers hit a jump shot to make it 47-23 with just under a minute left in the third.
A layup after a steal by senior McKenna Redstone ended the run and Leavitt’s 3:49 drought and pulled the Hornets within 22 heading for the final stanza.
There, junior Alison Noniewicz hit a 3 for the visitors, but Ginevan took a pass from Joyner on the fastbreak and made a layup and Joyner made a layup as well to make it 51-28.
After White made two free throws for the visitors, Welch hit one for Falmouth’s final point.
Down the stretch, Bowie made a 3, sophomore Carlie Leavitt did the same, then Noniewicz drove for a layup to bring the curtain down on the Yachtsmen’s 52-38 victory.
“We went through almost two weeks of not having our team (because of sickness),” Armandi said. “I think we practiced twice in a whole week and played games a few players down. We’re almost whole again.”
Ginevan nearly had a triple-double, scoring 13 points, while producing nine steals and eight assists.
“It’s been awesome,” said Ginevan. “I’ve looked up to our leaders on our team. Our juniors and sophomores have been welcoming to me. We have lots of great leaders and Coach does a great job making sure everyone is comfortable and we get after it every night.”
“Sloane brings so much energy on the defensive end,” said Armandi. “She’s a sparkplug. She doesn’t quit. She puts so much pressure on other teams.”
Birks added 10 points and four rebounds, Joyner had eight points, five rebounds and three steals off the bench, Welch tallied seven points (and six rebounds), Rogers and Turgeon had five points apiece and Bynion finished with four points and five boards.
Falmouth overcame 6-of-13 foul shooting and 19 turnovers.
Leavitt was paced by Bowie, who had seven points. Chaisson (six rebounds, four steals), Gilbert and White (six rebounds, three steals) all had six points, Noniewicz five, Ennis and Leavitt (five boards) three each and Redstone (three steals) two.
The Hornets made 11-of-16 free throws, but committed 28 turnovers.
Finishing push
Leavitt (which is currently 10th in the Class A South Heal Points standings) is back in action Friday at Brunswick.
Falmouth (seventh in Class A South), meanwhile, goes to Biddeford Friday, hosts Brunswick Tuesday of next week, then closes with games at Leavitt and at home versus Marshwood.
“We won’t look past any teams,” Ginevan said. “We can’t let up. We’ll go into each game and give 100 percent of what we need to do to get in the tournament.”
“We have to play better defense and we have to get better rebounding and keep the other team from getting second chances,” Armandi said. “This team wants to get better and wants to win. They work hard every day. They don’t give up.”
Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. Follow him on Twitter: @foresports.
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