Claremont
So what changed the game around?
“We really didn’t do anything different; we just improved upon what we were supposed to do and became more aggressive,” said Stevens coach Ivy Condon, who has been looking for a more consistent performance from her somewhat inconsistent 2-8 team. “Maybe this will get us going,” she added.
One of the big swings was the second-half rebounding of the Cardinals’ Carrie Faro, Sydney Miller, Abigail Faro and Zahna Rice.
Also, there still is that feeling for the Newport-Stevens rivalry, although Stevens now plays in NHIAA Division II while Newport remains in D-III.
“This is always a big game,” Stevens’ Jenna Pond said. “I hope the way we played in the second half tonight is how we are going to play the rest of the season.”
Trailing 22-15 at the break, Newport scored the first basket of the third quarter at the 7:41 mark and didn’t score again until there were two minutes left in the period. In the meantime, Stevens went on a 14-0 run: Several players found the basket, and gang rebounding denied the Tigers any serious attempt to slow down the Cardinal express.
“There were times it looked like we just didn’t want to play,” Newport coach Ross Dole said. “It was like we didn’t like each other.”
It was the first time these teams met in a regular-season contest, although the Tigers beat the Cardinals during a holiday tourney last month at Fall Mountain. And it certainly looked like another Newport win as the Tigers turned a 10-6 first-quarter lead to a 22-15 advantage by the half in a game of turnovers, fouls and missed free throws.
Then, it was like somebody flipped a switch and the mistake-laden Cardinals were not only dominating the boards but were making shots and playing stingy defense.
“You know, I thought we could play like this,” said Condon, who admitted the move to D-II play this winter has been taxing. “Still, we got some players here and, well, who knows? Maybe this will give us a boost.”
One thing Stevens assistant coach Amy Barton liked was a scoresheet that had seven different players scoring.
“That’s the kind of scoring we need,” Barton said.
Not only were there several Stevens scorers, there was some balance. Carrie Faro and Rice each had 10 points for the Cardinals, and Pond added eight.
The point total next to Sydney Miller’s name showed only six points. But the Stevens scorer was outstanding not only on the boards, but she was also solid in bringing the basketball up the floor and distributing it to her teammates.
It was the first NHIAA win for the Cardinals since an opening-game victory over Souhegan.
Newport got nine point, all in the first half, from Greysan Beaulieu and seven from Eliza Bates.
Both teams had trouble from the foul line. Stevens was 9-of-22 and Newport 6-of-17.
Both teams will be home on Friday, with Hollis Brookline coming to Claremont and Franklin visiting Newport.