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Saint Dominic Academy’s Mia-Angelina Leslie, right, eyes the basket as she slips past NYA’s Ellie Griswold for a layup during the first half of Friday night’s game in Auburn. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

AUBURN — Even an eight-point difference in the final score didn’t reflect just how close Friday night’s girls’ basketball contest between St. Dominic Academy and North Yarmouth Academy was.

The Saints and Panthers played tough defense throughout, and the difference eventually manifested itself at the free-throw line.

Solid shooting from the charity stripe helped NYA escape with a 60-52 win over St. Dom’s in a Western Maine Conference tilt.

The Saints (9-7) shot just 6-for-20 from the line, including 3-of-13 in the first half, compared to the Panthers’ mark of 15-for-21.

“We did struggle from the line and struggle from the floor,” St. Dom’s coach Chris Marston said. “Sometimes you have games like that. We try to make up with those things with schemes and effort and the girls gave effort by the truckload tonight. They gave everything they had to try to make up for that but sometimes you just have those nights.”

NYA (10-6) jumped out to a 15-8 first quarter lead, led by six of Helen Hamblett’s 14 total points, one of three Panthers in double digits.

Maggie Larson led NYA with 21 after getting hot in the second, scoring six. Her objective was to help her team at all costs.

“I needed to make contact, needed to draw the foul or I needed to finish it,” Larson said. “It’s just, I need to make this. I need to make it for my team.”

Larson saw all sorts of defenses, from a full-court press, double teams and zone attacks, all of which NYA game planned against.

“We had two quality practices devoted to game planning against St. Dom’s tonight,” NYA coach Nick Stacey said. “The girls tonight did a great job of focusing and I think it paid off tonight… We sat down and looked at the film and made the adjustments we thought we needed to make and sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t, but tonight they worked.”

After a lackluster first half, St. Dom’s came out of the locker room scoring in the third. With just over a minute remaining in the third, Becca Zimmerman got the offensive rebound for the Saints and found Caroline Gastonguay on the outside. Gastonguay drilled a 3-pointer while getting fouled. Gastonguay finished the four-point play, pulling the Saints within three, 39-36.

The Panthers didn’t falter, and NYA followed Gastonguay’s four-point play with two consecutive 3s of their own, one from Maggie Larson, who scored nine in the third, and the other from Katie Larson, who made nine free throws in the contest and a total of 14 points in the game.

Maggie Larson seemed to never miss.

“What we love most about her is that she can score but she’s a very willing passer,” Stacey said. “She’s got a good feel for the game. Any coach would be lucky to have her running the team.”

St. Dom’s knew it had its hands full heading into this matchup, even knowing that the Panthers were without starter Sydney Plummer, out with a concussion.

“I thought we defended really well,” Marston said. “I know Maggie Larson is one of the best scorers in the conference, and she got some tonight, but every shot she had to make was a tough one. She finished with 21 and she was hitting shots with hands in her face.”

NYA entered the fourth with a 47-38 lead, and, with help from Katie Larson’s perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line, was able to put the game away. However, the Saints attempted a late comeback behind eight of Mia-Angelina Leslie’s 13 points.

“This is a playoff-type game for sure,” Stacey said. “Our girls haven’t been in the playoffs so this is great experience for us. Hopefully we can build on this and see what happens moving forward.”

Saint Dominic Academy’s Mia-Angelina Leslie, left, and Becca Zimmerman, right, double team NYA’s Lincoln Hamblett under the basket during Friday night’s game in Auburn. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)

Saint Dominic Academy’s Becca Zimmerman, center, is fouled by NYA’s Camille Beaudon as she goes up for a layup during Friday night’s game in Auburn. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal)