By DAN BARILE
Eagle Times Correspondent
LANGDON, N.H. — After dropping a close contest to Conant on Monday night in Jaffrey, Fall Mountain returned home looking for revenge in a rematch with the Orioles the following night.
Despite facing a double-digit deficit during the first half, Fall Mountain clawed its way back to come away with a 48-40 victory on Senior Night at The Den.
Following a back-and-forth first quarter that ended with the visitors holding a 12-9 edge, Conant’s swarming defense took charge for the majority of the second period. The Orioles opened the quarter on a 12-2 run, forcing Fall Mountain to call timeout with 2:55 remaining after turning the ball over three straight possessions. The Wildcats regrouped following the timeout, scoring the final eight points of the half to cut the deficit to 24-19.
The Wildcats and the Orioles continued to go back-and-forth during the third quarter until the hosts proceeded to put together one of their finest defensive stretches of the season. Trailing 34-29 with 1:52 remaining in the third period, Fall Mountain went on a 13-0 run over the ensuing 8:42 to claim a 42-34 lead with only 1:10 left in the game. Conant managed to muster six points over the final 1:10, but it was too little, too late, as Fall Mountain held on for an eight-point win.
Luke St. Pierre led the way for Fall Mountain (10-5) with 17 points, Ledger Willett was next with 12 and Zach Hearne added 11. Jared Nagle did the majority of the damage for Conant (7-10), registering a game-high 22 points.
Fall Mountain recognized seniors Tyler Metcalf, Tyson Patch and Ledger Willett before the game, all of whom were in the starting lineup for the Wildcats in their final regular season game at The Den.
