GARDINER — Even on a night when it struggled, the Gardiner girls basketball team found a way to win.

A second-half surge led by guard Zoey Sullivan-Brennan and center Alexa Quintana sparked the Tigers to a 49-44 win over rival Cony on Thursday night at Bragoli Gym. Sullivan-Brennan scored 13 points for Gardiner (13-1), while Quintana recorded 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“It always feels good to beat our rival,” Sullivan-Brennan said. “We played them at the (Augusta) Civic Center (earlier this season) and that was a good game. We were hoping for the same (tonight).”

Kya Douin scored 21 points to lead Cony (8-7).

Sullivan-Brennan scored seven points, including a key 3-pointer, in the fourth quarter as Gardiner outscored Cony 17-12.

How did they get there?

Persistence. Gardiner struggled in the first half, particularly on the offensive end.

“The first half was dull,” Gardiner coach Britney Gero said. “It’s been a week. We had a really emotional game at Oceanside (on Tuesday) … We kind of coasted in the first half.”

The Tigers led 11-6 at the end of the first quarter, but Douin scored eight points as the Rams went on a 12-9 run in the second.

Despite its struggles, Gardiner played with more energy in the second half and took advantage of the 6-foot-3 Quintana’s height in the post. She scored eight points in third quarter. Quintana, along with guard Molly Takatsu (seven rebounds), help Gardiner on the glass.

“In the locker room (at halftime), we got really hyped, clapped it up and told each other, ‘We got this,'” Quintana said.

Gardiner forced 11 turnovers in the second half.

“I think the defense stepping up is what really go us ahead,” Quintana said.

Key moment

More like a key quarter. The Tigers rode the momentum they built in the third behind Sullivan-Brennan and Quintana to secure the win. The Rams got into foul trouble, and Sullivan-Brennan and Brynnlea Chaisson hit free throws down the stretch.

“We just played with heart and played together,” Sullivan-Brennan said. “That’s all we really have to do. We didn’t really look at the score much, we just played as hard as we could.”

What does it mean?

Gardiner holds the No. 1 seed and is in the driver’s seat in Class B North . The victory was also a nice bounce-back from after the Tigers suffered their first loss of the season, 67-57 to B South standout Oceanside, on Tuesday.

“To be able to close it out (tonight) and overcome that will help us in the playoffs,” Gero said. “Different kids stepped up, which is huge and just shows our depth.”

The Rams have dropped three straight games since beating Medomak Valley 52-40 on Jan. 15 and are currently the No. 8 seed in B North. Nine teams will qualify for the tournament, and No. 9 Erskine Academy (10-3) is nipping on Cony’s heels.

“(Douin) is great defensively, she’s just so long, and she’s great at getting to the rim,” Gero said. “(Cony) is good. They’re young, with a new coach. They’ll figure it out. Alex (Bessey) does a great job.”

The schedule does not get easier for the Rams, who face Lawrence, Erskine and Leavitt in their final three games.

Statistical leaders

Gardiner: Zoey Sullivan-Brennan (13 points), Alexa Quintana (12 points, 10 rebounds), Molly Takatsu (8 points, 7 rebounds)

Cony: Kya Douin (21 points), Gabriella Vachon (9 points), Khloe Price (5 points)