By Dan Barile
Eagle Times Correspondent
LANGDON, NH — Newport scored the opening points of the night on a corner three by Cassie Sanborn, but their lead was short-lived as Fall Mountain controlled the game the rest of the way en route to a 52-26 victory on Thursday, Dec. 21.
After going scoreless for the first two minutes of the game, Fall Mountain dominated the rest of the period and entered the second quarter with a 14-4 lead. The Wildcats continued to extend their lead with a combination of aggressive defense and good ball movement. Aubrey Thomas led Fall Mountain with 7 points during the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 27-10 advantage at the half. “We came out really locked in on defense, especially in the first half. We were flying around everywhere. Then our defense transitioned into breakaways, which really helped us get going,” Fall Mountain Assistant Coach Trey Dansereau said.
Abby Jarvis had the hot hand for the Wildcats during the third quarter. The sophomore guard connected on three shots from beyond the arc and totaled 12 points during the period to give Fall Mountain a 41-14 edge as they entered the final frame.
The fourth quarter was the most competitive of the night as the Wildcats outscored Newport, 11-10, to secure the 52-26 victory.
Jarvis led Fall Mountain with 15 points. Also reaching the scoring column for the Wildcats were Thomas (9), Madisyn Wilke (8), Kelsey Fillion (8), Sophie Grillone (6), Jenna Fillion (4), and Siera King (2). “Abby Jarvis shot the lights out,” Dansereau said. He added, “Aubrey Thomas brought a spark off the bench and gave us great defense.”
Torrence Williams and Cassie Sanborn led Newport in the losing effort with six points each.
Filling-in for Head Coach Matt Baird-Torney for the night, Dansereau earned his first victory at the varsity level. “It was a great team win which is always good to see. It’s always nice to get that first home win and we’re excited to keep going,” Dansereau said.
Fall Mountain (1-2) returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 27 against Windsor in the Stevens Holiday Tournament. Newport (0-4) is scheduled to host Stevens on Tuesday, Jan. 2 at 5:30 p.m.
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