GARDNER — For summer basketball league purposes, the Mahar girls basketball program is broken into two teams, Mahar A and Mahar B.
Mahar B consists of girls in grades 7 and 8. They are the only team constructed of solely middle school students, while every other team is made up of mostly varsity basketball players.
The age difference pins Mahar B against tough odds in every matchup, like on Monday, when they lost 41-18 to a Gardner team comprised of mostly juniors with varsity experience.
“They played well,” said Mahar B coach Pat Kaltner. “There’s just some players that are too fast or too big for middle school kids.”
Mahar B could compete though. It wasn’t about talent. In the second half, Natalie Belloli gathered in a pass from Kayley Murphy and sunk a wide-open three with 3:57 to go to move within 36-16. Ava Liberty was trapped underneath the basket 19 seconds later and bounced the ball off the shoe of the defender to restart with an inbound pass. The decision led to another two points from Belloli.
Where Mahar B could not compete, however, was in the height department. With mere seconds left in the game, Gardner’s Cora Merchant, who stood 1 foot taller than the opposition under the hoop, gathered in a pass and easily put her team up 41-18. The same occurrence happened multiple times throughout the game, such as in the first half when a third chance opportunity underneath the hoop put Gardner up 19-9 with 1:38 left in the half. It also allowed Merchant to get the offensive rebound on a free throw with 5:47 left in the first and put her team up 15-7.
“That was killing us,” said Kaltner about the height disadvantage. “Even when we boxed out, they were going over the top of us. It may be a long season for us, but it will be good for them to build. It’s going to build their confidence and they’re going to get stronger.”
Belloli scored five of her team-leading seven points within the final four minutes of the game. Belloli led the offense of the Mahar Middle School girls basketball team this winter, netting more than 100 career points.
“Natalie Belloli is just going 110 percent all the time, 200 percent if you can get it” said Kaltner. “She just works, works, works. She’s not intimidated. We’ll just see how it goes.”
Gardner held a 21-9 lead at halftime, going on a 6-0 run within the final five minutes. They opened up the second half with five straight points before Mahar B scored its first basket 4:12 into the second half, moving the score to 26-11. It was the only time Mahar B scored until eight minutes left in the game, when Taylor Soucie netted a jumper, moving within 34-13.
Outside of Belloli’s seven points, Haylee Allen netted four points, while Soucie, Kendra Doane and Murphy each scored two. Ava Liberty added one point.