FREEPORT — For four quarters Tuesday, the winless Freeport High School girls basketball team attacked the Poland Knights with a ferocity not shown this year by Mike Hart’s Falcons.
The Knights felt like they escaped with a hard-fought 36-27 Western Maine Conference win.
“Escape is the right word,” said Poland coach Mike Susi, whose Knights improved to 5-3 and travel to Old Orchard Beach on Thursday. “That team played harder, more physical with no quit in them than anyone that we have played this year. We have played good teams. That team plays hard all the time.”
For the Falcons, this one was certainly a step in the right direction in Hart’s first season leading Freeport, which fell to 0-8.
“I have tried to change the way they play the game by getting into those passing lanes, and challenging things on the perimeter instead of playing from behind,” said Hart, whose Falcons held Poland scoreless in the third quarter and forced 25 turnovers. “Tonight was the first night that the whole team took a progression forward in being committed to that. It helps. When they are all doing it, playing hard on defense, it is difficult to score on us. If we can continue to do those things, we will compete.”
Down 22-19 at the half, Freeport responded with a 5-0 scoring edge in the third quarter for a 24-22 advantage heading to the fourth.
But, Poland responded in the final frame, with Michaella Arsenault hitting a big 3-pointer to end a near nine-minute scoring drought, igniting a key 8-1 run for a 30-25 edge with 4:27 remaining.
“They hustled, played hard on defense, and during the first half our baskets weren’t going in,” said Arsenault, who had a game-high 14 points. “We picked it up in the fourth quarter. We just knew that we had to hustle, knowing that they had outworked us. We needed to come back.”
In your face
Freeport showed its hand on the opening tip. Five Falcons converged on the loose ball, and Taylor Rinaldi took a pass from Jessie Gray and buried a shot for a quick 2-0 lead.
Poland turned the ball over 10 times in the opening quarter, with Kayla Belanger scoring five points for an 11-8 Freeport lead after eight minutes.
The Knights rallied in the second quarter, tying the game at 13 on a Hope Kohtala trey. After a timeout, Freeport forced three straight turnovers and put together a 6-2 spurt behind three points from Regan Lynch for a 19-15 advantage.
But, Poland closed the opening half strong. Arsenault hit a 3-pointer and Nathalie Theriault put back her own missed shot for the Knights’ first lead, 20-19. Arsenault closed the 7-0 run with another two points for a 22-19 halftime edge despite the Knights turning the ball over 16 times and attempting just 16 shots because of Freeport’s pressure defense.
“I do my very best to not look past people and we prepared, but we didn’t respond early on,” said Susi. “I warned them that this would be a hard gym to win in, and that they would come and play hard all game. It took for the whistle to blow and the ball to be thrown up in the air to find out what coach was really talking about.
“The intensity was fantastic,” said Hart, who watched his Falcons continue their defensive prowess in the third quarter, holding the Knights scoreless as Poland missed 10 straight shots and turned the ball over eight more times.
But, Freeport struggled itself on offense, scoring just five points in the third and allowing the visitors to stay close enough to put together a fourth-quarter comeback.
“For me it’s about getting them to that next step … converting in transition, taking care of the basketball,” said Hart. “That is our next step in order to compete. They are a great group of girls who work hard. Now it is just about getting the win. That is our goal.”
Kohtala scored all nine of her points in the first half for Poland, with Theriault finishing her eight-point night with six in the final frame and adding seven rebounds and three assists. Caroline Littlefield chipped in five points. Poland shot 37 percent (12-of-32) and made just 8-of-19 from the charity stripe.
Belanger paced Freeport with seven points, with Rinaldi adding six, Lynch five and Megan Cormier four. The Falcons struggled both from the field (8-of-44, 18 percent) and at the free-throw line (10-of-19, 52 percent). Belanger picked up six steals, with Mackenzie Ackley pulling down a team-high six rebounds.
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