The Mascenic girls started Tuesday’s game against Farmington with a 12-0 run, as senior Shelby Babin had the hot hand early on, and it looked like the Vikings were on their way to a blowout victory. But despite holding a 28-11 lead at halftime, Sean Young’s girls let the Tigers back in the game, as Farmington cut it to a two-possession game in the fourth quarter before ultimately falling to Mascenic 45-38.
Babin, who came into the game 30 points away from 1,000 career, scored 18 points in the first half, hitting three three-pointers as the Vikings shot the tall Tigers out of their 2-2-1 zone. But once Farmington started to extend their defense out to the perimeter, the Vikings grew passive.
“It should have just been business as usual but with a young basketball team that was the mistake we made,” coach Young said. “We stopped attacking, we stopped trying to go to the hole and we got tentative.”
Babin’s hot start subsided after the half – she was held scoreless in the third quarter – and Farmington made their way back into the game behind Joclyn Peaslee’s team-high 13 points. But Babin came back to life in the fourth, scoring five more points to keep Mascenic on top.
Babin finished with 23 points, seven short of the 1,000-point milestone. She’s averaging 20.3 ppg and thus is likely to pop the confetti in Wednesday night’s home game, when Mascenic (9-4) hosts Concord Christian (2-10) after press time.
Kylie Millea added six points for Mascenic and Mackenzie Cormier had five.
ConVal 63, Sanborn 49
ConVal and Hanover remain neck and neck at the top of Division II, with both teams sitting at 10-0 after the Cougars’ 63-49 win over Sanborn Monday night.
Nine players scored for ConVal Monday; the Cougars got out to a 20-point lead in the second quarter and never looked back. Mather Kipka, who’s garnering some early DII Player of the Year buzz, scored 24 points; Taylor Burgess added 11.
Coach Leo Gershgorin pointed out that the Cougars’ defense has been excellent over the past four games, where they’re giving up an average of 42 ppg.
ConVal is at Laconia (3-6) Thursday night.
Newmarket 83,
Wilton-Lyndeborough 34
The Warriors had a shot at the 12-1 Mules early on, but a six-point deficit after the first quarter ballooned as WLC scored just four points in the second as No. 2 Newmarket ran away with it.
“They’re a talented team, and very deep,” said WLC head coach Malin Segal.
Jack Schwab had 11 for the Warriors; Zach Taylor had 10; Kyler Tremblay scored nine and Hunter Scales added four.
WLC (4-8) is at Sunapee (9-4) Friday night.