READFIELD — Nothing has come easy for the Hall-Dale girls basketball team this season.
That was the case again Thursday night. With two of their senior captains out with injuries, the Bulldogs clawed their way to a 46-39 victory over Maranacook in a battle of two Mountain Valley Conference contenders.
Junior guard Sierra Gibbons led Hall-Dale (8-2) with 26 points, including 21 in the first half. She also had 11 rebounds.
“Everything was just falling I guess,” Gibbons said.
Marie Benoit added eight points for the Bulldogs, who were without senior captains Jade Graham and Torie Tibbetts.
Junior Celia Bergdahl led the Black Bears (7-3) with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Alice Ferran added 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Bulldogs are the defending Class C South champion and are two years removed from winning a Class C title. This season, Hall-Dale carries a roster of just 11 players and does not have a junior varsity team. There have been multiple games this season where the Bulldogs have had less than 10 players on the bench. On Thursday, they had eight.
“We’re just really happy to get the win, because we didn’t have a ton of people tonight and we don’t have a super-deep bench,” Benoit said. “To get this win was a really big deal.”
Hall-Dale’s roster situation has given younger players significant playing time. Freshman forward Gabby Russell started on Thursday night, scoring four points while adding four rebounds and playing solid defense in the post. Freshman guard Sophia Murch came off the bench to hit two key shots in the second half. Sophomore guard Maya Hammonds also scored four points and had four rebounds, adding key contributions in the second half.
“They really stepped up and played really well, which is going to be really good for us in the playoffs,” Benoit said. “Everybody was contributing. We have a lot of tough games coming up, it’s good to start (that stretch) with a win.”
“I think this game gives the girls the momentum they need,” Hall-Dale coach Laurie Rowe said. “To trust the underclassmen, to know that they can play with them and that they can all play together. When we’re missing two of our key players, that’s huge for those girls to step up.”
They followed the lead of Gibbons, who took over the game from the start, scoring 14 points and nabbing five rebounds in the first quarter. Not only was Gibbons a force in the paint, but she showed a soft touch from beyond the arc, hitting two 3-pointers in the first half.
“She found herself underneath the basket and in the corner so many times, she’s so great at just finishing underneath (the basket) and make those little layups,” Rowe said. “But you have to be careful with her, because she’s a great 3-point shooter, too.”
“We just kept looking for her, because she just kept making everything,” Benoit said. “We just went back to her every time.”
Maranacook had some shooting struggles early, but made a hard charge, outscoring Hall-Dale in the second half. Bergdahl, who has consistently notched double-doubles throughout the season, found her groove, scoring 12 of her 20 points in the second half.
“I think if a couple shots fell the in first half, we’d feel different,” Maranacook coach Karen Magnusson said. “And we missed a lot of shots. There were possessions where I think we got two or three offensive rebounds, four shots and came away with no points. We made some adjustments (at halftime) and I think some things worked.
“At the same time, (Hall-Dale) made some timely baskets. Hats off to them, I think they worked hard together to earn that (win). I know they’re missing a couple of kids, but they still have a lot. I think Gibbons is their best player, and she showed it tonight. She came up (the floor), and she was unstoppable. When you have your best player play like that, and people come back, they’re going to make a great run in the tournament, they’re a great team.”
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