The Mustangs’ biggest stretch was a 14-2 scoring run that spanned most of the second quarter. It broke a 9-9 tie and gave Monmouth a lead it never relinquished.

In that second period, the Mustangs held the previously unbeaten Seahawks to only four points.

“We played pretty solid,” Monmouth coach Scott Wing said. “We played very, very good team defense, that was the whole key.”

None of Boothbay’s four second-quarter points were scored by Page Brown, the top scorer in the Mountain Valley Conference at 23.2 points per game.

“We had a rough second quarter,” Seahawks coach Tanner Grover said. “I think we only attempted seven shots, and it’s hard to make any kind of a comeback or put points on the board against a high-scoring team when you’re only attempting seven shots in a period.”

The Mustangs led 23-13 at halftime. Boothbay scored three quick points to open the second half, prompting Wing to call a quick timeout with the lead down to seven points.

The Seahawks continued to chip away and got within four points a couple times, including at the end of the third, when the score was 31-27.

“We played well in spots,” Grover said.

That was as close at Boothbay would get. Monmouth’s Tia Day opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer that kickstarted an 11-3 run over the first five-and-a-half minutes of the period that made the lead 42-30 by the time Day sank both ends of a one-and-one at the free-throw line with 2:26 left in the game.

By that point, the Seahawks were in foul-mode in a desperate attempt to make a comeback. The Mustangs, though, sank 9 of 15 free throws in the fourth quarter, including their last six, to seal the game.

“To Monmouth’s credit, they do everything well,” Grover said. “They defend well, they move the ball well, they shoot well. They’re a balanced team that does a lot of things.”

Day was 6-for-6 at the line in the fourth. She also hit a pair of treys in the game and tied for the team-high in scoring with 14 points.

Abbey Allen scored seven points in each half to also finish with 14.

“She has stepped her game up, big-time, this year,” Wing said.

Hannah Anderson added nine points for Monmouth, and Abby Ferland contributed eight.

The Mustangs held the Seahawks 19 points below their season scoring average.

“Make sure we help everyone, and just get up and bother people,” Allen said was the defensive game plan.

Brown led all scorers with 20 points, but the Mustangs didn’t allow many of them to come easy.

“We had post players playing her tough,” Wing said. “We committed some fouls doing it, but I told the girls that as long as they’re not just dumb fouls, if they’re trying to work her and get her off her spot, then that’s part of the game, and we did pick up some fouls early with that.

“But we just had great helpside defense the whole time, there were people stepping down on her to help out all the time, constantly.”

The Seahawks were again without 6-foot-1 sophomore Faith Blethen, who ranks fourth in the MVC in scoring, third in rebounding, first in steals, third in blocks, sixth in assists and second in 3-pointers made per game.

Monmouth should get to see Boothbay with Blethen before the postseason begins next month. Wing said the Mustangs and Seahawks are already slated to meet in the MVC championship game. Grover said Blethen should be healed by then.

“All in all, I’m not happy with the outcome, but you have to play teams like that to really see what you need to get better at doing,” Grover said.

Boothbay (12-1), which still ranks No. 1 in the C South Heal point standings, will look to bounce back from its first loss of the season at fourth-place Madison (10-3) on Tuesday.

Monmouth (12-2), which leapfrogged Richmond for the No. 2 spot in C South with Saturday’s win, next plays at home against Carrebec (3-9) on Thursday.

The Mustangs have won seven straight games since dropping two of three in late December, one of those losses coming at Boothbay, 44-37, on Dec. 22.

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