AUGUSTA — Two rivalry games on the Augusta Civic Center floor Saturday night could hardly have been much different. In the end, though, both were victories for the Gardiner Tigers on Day 1 of the Capital City Hoop Classic.

The Gardiner girls stayed undefeated with a 58-17 victory over Cony, while the Gardiner boys ended the Rams’ unbeaten start to the season with a thrilling 97-90 win. Here are five takeaways from the rivalry games.

TEAMS EMBRACE LONE ACC GAME

Since 2006 — before any of their current players were born — Cony and Gardiner have played their tournament games at the Augusta Civic Center. With the Rams and Tigers now going from Class A to Class B, they will play in Bangor this February.

Saturday night’s game, then, is the only time either team will play at the ACC this winter. Both Cony and Gardiner, which have had some great moments on this floor over the years, appreciated the opportunity.

“It was great for our guys to be able to get a game here because this is home to them,” said Cony coach Isaiah Brathwaite. “To be able to get an opportunity here this year, it’s something special for us.”

Playing and winning on this floor meant a lot to Brady Atwater of the Gardiner boys, who missed the Tigers’ first tournament game in Augusta in eight years last year with an injury. It was also a motivating factor for a Gardiner girls team with many ACC first-timers.

“Most of our team has never gotten the opportunity to play on this court because we only have four returning kids from last year, so they were really amped up about it,” said Gardiner coach Britney Gero. “They were really nervous, but they rose to the occasion.”

GARDINER GIRLS DOMINATE BOARDS, STIFLE RAMS

The Cony girls (3-3) struggled to make shots, scoring just four baskets and going without a field goal in the second and fourth quarters. Gardiner made the Rams pay for their numerous misses, outrebounding them 48-23.

With Gardiner playing more zone-defense than usual, the Tigers made Cony’s shot selection difficult. The Rams had no success getting looks near the basket, and with their outside shots not falling, there was little they could do to break down Gardiner’s defense.

“We’ve really been focusing on how to stay disciplined defensively — when to jump a trap vs. when not to; when to go for a steal vs. when not to,” Gero. “They weren’t hitting shots the way they normally do, so that allowed us to stay in our zone all night long.”

The Tigers weren’t flawless at the other end, but their offense was consistent. Molly Takatsu got Gardiner going with eight points in the first quarter, and balanced scoring from in the third and fourth quarters helped them pull away.

“I was super excited for the game; it’s a rivalry, and I’ve been thinking about it all day, so the start of the game was the perfect opportunity,” Takatsu said. “I tried not to be too selfish, but when the shots were there, I shot them.”

3-POINTERS, OPEN LOOKS PROPEL GARDINER BOYS

It’s hard to get into a track meet with a Cony team that was averaging more than 80 points per game entering Saturday. Yet the Tigers did and beat the Rams at their own game.

Gardiner (5-1) made seven 3-pointers in a 50-point first half, including 18 points from Atwater. Trace Moody got hot from behind the arc in the second half, making a pair of triples in the third quarter and another to open the fourth.

The deciding factor, though, might have been Gardiner’s ability to score near the basket. Efficient passing and a strong transition game generated countless open looks around the basket for the Tigers, who got multiple layups from Brady Peacock, who scored 14 points in the second half.

“We just emphasized attacking when we had the chance, which we did,” said Gardiner coach Aaron Toman. “If nothing was there, we focused on moving the ball with pace and making them guard us.”

CONY NEARLY PULLS OFF COMEBACK

Gardiner began to pull away from Cony (5-1) in the second half, leading by as many as 16 points. Yet the Rams refused to back down and pulled within a point, 83-82, with 3:36 to play.

Gardiner then went to a stall in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but Cony forced the Tigers into multiple turnovers. Still, Gardiner was able to pull out the victory thanks to a few key offensive rebounds and clutch free-throw shooting by Trace Moody.

“We just needed to get back in and stay focused,” Atwater said. “Once we locked back in, we knew we were going to win that game and bring it home.”

STAT LEADERS

• Gardiner girls: Molly Takatsu (16 points, 12 rebounds), Alexa Quintana (13 rebounds)

• Cony boys: Carter Brathwaite (32 points, seven rebounds), Jackson Kay (17 points, eight rebounds), Parker Morin (14 points)

• Gardiner boys: Trace Moody (24 points), Brady Peacock (21 points, six rebounds), Brady Atwater (18 points, all in first half)