If Charles Dickens had been in attendance at last Wednesday night’s basketball game, he would have had the perfect setting to write a Tale of Two Cities.

It was a game that would show the best and worst of the 2008-09 girls’ basketball team, but in the end its dramatic comeback bid went for naught in a 66-53 loss to Whitman-Hanson.

It was billed as the biggest Patriot League game of the early season, but by halftime the only thing big about it would be the Panther’s halftime lead.

Senior captains Katie Curley and Kelly Curly combined with sophomore Devon Tsinzo to give the visitors a 7-6 advantage, only to watch the Panthers reel off an 11-0 run at the end of the first quarter to take a commanding 17-7 lead.

Whitman-Hanson’s Emily Trapp showed why she is the Panther’s all-time leading scorer, as she dominated first quarter play with nine points, moving the ball up court and also playing tough defense underneath.

Duxbury stayed closed in the first three minutes of the second quarter, as a Kelly Curley free throw made it 21-12 with 5:21 remaining in the half. But after that freebie the roof caved in on the Lady Dragons, as the Panthers ran their visitors ragged and went on a 12-0 run that was halted by a Katie Curley bucket that stopped the bleeding at 33-14.

Adding insult to injury, W-H captain Ali Hardiman buried a shot at the buzzer to give her team a 35-17 halftime lead.

“I just thought with a physical, fast-paced game, our 2-3 zone defense would be the best thing to start out with,” said Duxbury Coach Mark Dunn. “I just think were a little tight and sloppy. They were shooting well and our heads were down. We were really in a tough spot and we barely made it to the locker room.”

Whatever halftime adjustments Dunn had planned were slow to take affect, as Trapp continued to torch the Lady Dragons all over the court with eight more points and a 46-26 lead with 3:13 to go in the quarter.

With the game getting out of hand, it was time for Duxbury to put up or shut up if they wanted to be considered a league contender, and they chose the former.

Working the ball inside to their twin towers, Dunn’s strategy suddenly took hold, as Duxbury closed out the quarter with a 10-3 run, highlighted by Katie Curley’s basket at the buzzer.

Trailing 49-36 starting the final eight minutes, Duxbury had the crowd on edge when Kelly Curley converted an old-fashion three-point play to cut the lead to 10.

Hardiman got two of those back when she converted a pair of free throws that saddled Sara Botieri with her fourth foul and 7:30 left in the game.

The Curleys were red hot inside, as each scored a bucket, and Botieri hit her second three-pointer of the night to cut the lead to 51-45.

It became a slugfest between the dynamic duos of the Curleys vs. Tripp/Hardiman, as the score moved to 57-52 with 3:51 to go.

Not much of an offensive factor throughout the game, Whitman-Hanson’s Taylor Ferry delivered the finishing blow, as she unloaded a three-point bomb from the top of the arc that swished through the net for a 60-52 lead.

Duxbury would have its chances to continue the comeback bid, but turnovers and missed free throws made it an uphill battle in the final three minutes.

“It was a big game for both teams and they had the upper hand right away,” said Dunn. “It took us a while to see we could play with them and be physical. At least we took from this game the fact that we out-played them and out-worked them in the second half and just have to play like that every game.”

Katie Curley had a big night with 19 points, while Kelly added 14 and Botieri chipped in with 8, leaving the girls with a 3-2 record.

On Friday night the girls traveled to Hanover and had their hands full with the Indians before pulling away at the end for a 78-70 victory.

It was a foul-plagued evening for both teams, as the officials were whistle happy calling 40 fouls, and making life difficult for the Lady Dragons at the end.

After an even first quarter, Duxbury pulled ahead midway through the second quarter before the Indians went on a six-point run and went into the locker room with a one-point lead at halftime.

Dunn went with a press in the second half, and the game turned dramatically, as several steals turned momentum to Duxbury’s side. What was a close game, now became a temporary run-away, as the visitors built a 15-point lead.

In the fourth quarter the fouls began to pile up for Duxbury, as Kelly Curley fouled out, and Katie Curley, Boynton, and Botieri continued to play with four each, allowing Hanover to be aggressive and get back in the game.

With a minute to go Hanover closed to within three points, but Duxbury took control and pulled away at the end by making their free throws and some breakaway hoops.