When the season started, fans of Duxbury girls’ basketball thought Coach Mark Dunn and his young squad would be hard-pressed to win five games. The graduation of nine seniors left juniors Maggie Norton and Devon Tsinzo in charge to guide a host of newcomers that included three freshmen and a sophomore.

Trying to navigate the Patriot League schedule, and then tackle four non-league games with Notre Dame and New Bedford seemed like certain death for the Lady Dragons, but Dunn knew there was no sense in playing lesser teams if he wanted his young troops to learn quickly.

“I had seen Katelyn Norton and Michela North play in some eighth-grade games and I knew they would help us,” said Dunn. “I just didn’t think they would make an impact so soon.”

After starting the season at 0-4, its appeared the prognosticators were dead on, as three straight Patriot League losses and a hammering by New Bedford could have easily destroyed moral.

“Once the season got going, we started to play better and the girls realized they could stay on the court with anyone,” said Dunn. “When we played New Bedford and Notre Dame, I think the girls got a wake-up call as to the talent level out there.”

At this point Dunn knew he had to instill some confidence in his young team, as the 14-year old 6’1” North was starting at center and taking a pounding night in and night out while holding her own.

“I just told the kids we have to start winning some games and we’ll take it one at a time. We have ten games left and let’s try to win 10 in a row.”

If anyone outside the program had heard Dunn’s request, they may have called a psychiatrist. The girls had shown some grit in wins over Sandwich and North Quincy, but after another hammering by New Bedford they stood at 2-6 with a long road ahead.

Back-to-back wins over a pair of perennial nemesis (Hingham and Rockland) had people wondering if their opponents had off days. Losses to Hanover and Notre Dame followed, leaving little doubt that the Lady Dragons just got lucky.

The soft part of the schedule was now on the horizon, and it was time for Duxbury to make a statement. A couple of wins would build some confidence, while losses could send them to the cellar for the rest of the year.

Starting with a convincing win (54-23) over Middleboro, the Lady Dragons manhandled Quincy, Pembroke, Martha’s Vineyard and Silver Lake, and suddenly talk of postseason play was part of the thought process for a team that was now 9-8.

“We were on a roll and that is why the girls were so disappointed last week when they lost to Scituate,” said Dunn. “But I have to say we are playing well. The defense is really hustling and the offense is getting better every game. I’m pleased with their effort and their attitude. They know they can make the tournament, but we’re just trying to win each game every night we go out there.”

Since being within a game of making the tournament, the tide has turned for Duxbury, but not for lack of effort.

Friday night’s game with 14-2 Whitman-Hanson may have been Duxbury’s best of the season, as they took the Panthers to overtime before dropping a heart-breaking 45-43 decision.

Having been a 77-72 victim earlier in the season, Duxbury had every intention of giving the Panthers their best shot, and they did.

With the Norton sisters staking Duxbury to an 8-2 lead, Tsinzo canned a three-pointer and the crowd was stunned with the Lady Dragons ahead 11-4.

Maggie Norton and North fueled a 5-2 run to make it 16-7, forcing W-H coach Jim Daley to call a timeout to assess the situation with 2:45 left in the quarter.

Junior Emily Walker opened the second quarter with a bucket for a 19-12 lead, but the Panthers slowly crept back in the game until Jenna Cusick buried her shot with 1:25 to go for a 21-18 halftime lead.

Sophomore captain Taylor Ferry would sink a three to open the second half, and follow it with a free throw for W-H’s first lead of the game at 22-21 forcing Dunn to call a timeout before things got out of hand.

It was a good call by Dunn, as North and the Nortons went on a 6-2 run to regain the lead at 27-26 as the third quarter ended.

Duxbury continued to hold a slim lead at 32-30 on a Shannon McLaughlin free throw with just over four minute to go, only to see Brittany Ford sneak inside for an offensive rebound to tie the game at 33.

North and Mary Rose Grifffin traded baskets at the two-minute mark to keep it tied at 35, but Ferry matched a hoop by Norton with 29.9 seconds remaining to send the game into OT.

Maggie Norton buried a three-pointer to give Duxbury a 42-39 lead with 1:58 left, only to see Ford score consecutive buckets to grab the lead.

North hit a free throw with 43 seconds to tie the game at 43. However, Griffin would score the clincher with 22 seconds to go for the Panther win.

The Lady Dragons took on North Quincy Tuesday night with a chance to qualify for post season play, and will get two more shots to make it happen even if they lost to the Red Raiders.