The DHS girls’ basketball team almost pulled off the upset of the year, as the undermanned Lady Dragons battled back from a 27-19 halftime deficit, but eventually lost to undefeated New Bedford High Sschool, 58-54, last week in Duxbury.
It was a good test for a Duxbury squad that came into the game at 10-2, while the undefeated Division 1 Whalers were at 15-0 and ranked No. 7 by the Boston Globe. Making matters even worse for the Lady Dragons is that they were playing without the injured Norton sisters, both of who are major contributors on offense.
The New Bedford seniors took control early, as Arielle Gomes scored eight first quarter points, and classmate Alyssa Roach added eleven in the second quarter that included a trio of three-pointers that gave the visitors a 27-19 halftime lead.
Baskets by Jenna Cusick, Christina Curley, and Devon Tsinzo would keep the Lady Dragons close in the third quarter, but they still trailed by nine as the period came to a close and found them staring at a 45-36 deficit.
Tsinzo (12 points) caught fire in the final eight minutes, as her patented three-point bombs found their range, cutting the Whaler lead to 47-44 with five minutes left in the game.
After Duxbury coach Mark Dunn called a timeout, the Lady Dragons came back on the floor and continued their comeback, cutting the lead to one at 49-48 after baskets by Michela North and Megan Sullivan with less than four minutes left in the game.
A North basket would keep them within striking distance at 51-50 with 2:10 left on the clock, but New Bedford’s Courtney Miranda buried a three for a 54-50 lead. Two more free throws by North matched a bucket by Roach, and the Whalers called a timeout with 51 seconds remaining.
North (22 points) made a big basket on an offensive rebound to get them back within two at 56-54, but the defense couldn’t snatch the ball away and sent them to the free throw line in two critical situations where they converted for the win.
While the Lady Dragons showed their grit against New Bedford, they had a much tougher time on Friday night in Kingston in a key Patriot League battle, as they dropped a 53-37 decision to Silver Lake in a Keenan Division match-up.
The absence of Maggie and Katelyn North became an issue, as the Lakers knew immediately how to stop the Lady Dragons minus two of their top scorers.
Grabbing a 21-15 halftime lead on the strength of Nicole Conboy’s 14 points, the Lakers never trailed the rest of the night, despite a valiant second-half effort by North that cut the margin to 31-28 late in the third quarter.
With a lack of offensive options in the final eight minutes, Silver Lake was able to tighten its defense on the Duxbury attack and expanded its lead to 49-32 with its offense being taken over by Courtney Yost (15 points).
On Friday night the girls will host Whitman-Hanson, as they try to improve on their 10-4 record.