The squads entered the Class I girls basketball game on Friday, Dec. 7, unbeaten. The hosts from Coe-Brown Northwood Academy left the court undefeated. The visitors from Bow High left the court undeterred.

Despite a 59-41 setback, the Falcons’ head coach, Corey Boilard, saw no reason to worry. “We’re inexperienced, but playing this type of team and this type of game this early in the season is only going to help us down the road,” he said.

Coe-Brown took early advantage of the locals’ inexperience, opening an 8-0 lead two minutes into the contest courtesy of its full-court press.

Boilard called a timeout, and Bow, keyed by what the mentor called the team’s core strength, regrouped.

Defense helped the Falcons pull within two after one quarter and take their only lead of the game late in the second, 16- 15. During the run, Bow held Coe-Brown without a field goal for more than eight minutes. “Defense, defense, defense,” said Boilard. “That’s where we’re strong right now. The offense will come around when we figure out what our strengths are.”

One of those strengths is sure to be Kaitlyn Hinck, a senior guard who paced the team with nine points, including a smooth fourth-quarter drive to the left and gentle carom off the backboard for two points.

That bucket pulled Bow within five during its final push. And Boilard has Molly Crisman and Jackie Laboe, seniors; Meghan Faretra, Caitlin Heindl and Alison Meagher, juniors; Kelly Chergey, a sophomore; and Maggie Crisman, an ambidextrous freshman, in the regular rotation of versatile, athletic players at his disposal.

“These are two good teams, and (winning games like this is) about making plays. Those three 3-pointers (Coe-Brown made) in the third quarter opened up the middle, forced us to take some risks and gave them some second chances in the fourth quarter,” said Boilard.

“Match that with some mistakes we made in our halfcourt (offense), and you get this outcome.”

Rounding out the roster for Bow, 3-2 after consecutive setbacks - the Falcons also lost to John Stark, 54-38 on Tuesday, Dec. 11 - are freshman Kathy Marston, sophomore Kathryn Barry, juniors Brianna Bean and Leanna Shea, and seniors Jill Gamelin and Heather Bennett.

The team faces four consecutive regular-season road tests beginning Thursday, Dec. 13, against Milford. Then the Falcons travel to Pembroke to face their Neighborhood rival Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Following that match with the Spartans, Boilard hopes to again see Coe-Brown in that school’s Christmas tournament, preferably in the finals.

Game notes
Faretra scored eight points, and Chergey added seven for the Falcons. Molly Crisman added six markers, and Maggie Crisman and Laboe both hit for four points. Heindl hit a hoop, and Meagher nailed one of two free throws.