QUECHEE — The most dangerous thing in sports is a team with nothing to lose and the Rivendell Academy girls basketball team proved that, going toe-to-toe with a better Mid Vermont Christian squad before falling to the Eagles, 46-38, on Saturday in a late-season VPA Division IV matchup.

The Raptors (5-12) struck first in the opening seconds and held tight to that lead for most of the first half. This was in large part due to a solid defensive effort that held the Eagles to only two points in the opening seven minutes.

“The girls played well,” Rivendell coach Dennis Fitzgerald said. “They were aggressive pre-game and came in looking to gain respect.”

The Eagles’ offense came to life late in the first quarter. Junior Sydney Goodwin would take over, scoring five of their seven first quarter points to close the gap to 8-7.

“We do that a lot,” said MVCS coach Chris Goodwin of his team’s rocky start. “I wish I knew why, but we tend to come out sluggish. I think it helps to see the ball go through the net a couple times, then your confidence builds.”

MVCS’ confidence clearly built in the second period, as its defense tightened up on the Raptors as its offense flourished. The tide turned early, when a block from freshman Tia Kendall kept the Raptors from going up five. The Eagles took their first lead, 13-12, with 3:15 remaining in the half and never looked back, ending the half on a 13-4 run to lead, 20-12.

The Eagles continued restricting the Raptors’ scorers in the third quarter, and the newest member of the 1,000-point club took over offensively. MVCS sophomore Hayley Goodwin’s shots began falling, leading to her game-high 18 points, including 6-for-6 from the free-throw line as the Eagles increased their lead to 30-20.

Rivendell didn’t go quietly, however. After falling behind by as much as 12 and putting MVCS in the bonus with 5:35 remaining, the Raptors’ offense started to click. Propelled by sophomore guard Savannah Gray’s team-leading 13 points, Rivendell chipped away at the deficit, cutting it to five on a Gray 3-pointer with less than three minutes to go.

The lead dwindled no further. The Eagles repeatedly broke Rivendell’s full-court pressure, taking time off the clock and forcing the visitors to foul. They were almost automatic form the line, going 7-for-8 in the closing minutes.

“The girls are really comfortable against the press, breaking it has been a strength of ours all year,” Chris Goodwin said.

A pair of clutch foul shots by sophomore Rachel Horner-Richardson (eight points) with 20 seconds left set the final margin.

“All my feelings are positive,” said Fitzgerald. “We came out and wanted to win. We are a young team. Not that this season is a wash, but it is a building year, and I’m proud.”

The win put MVCS at 13-6 on the season, behind Danville for fifth in D-IV. The loss dropped Rivendell to ninth in the division.