GARDNER — Wednesday’s game between Conant and Mahar A in the Gardner summer basketball league became a preview of Monday’s playoff matchup between the two teams.
Without its two point guards in Delaney Parker and Micalyn Mailloux, Mahar A played the 2017-2018 New Hampshire state champions well, but fell victim to a 10-point run by Conant, losing 34-25.
The two teams will face off against on Monday in the opening round of the playoffs at 5 p.m.
“Most games this year we played with 11 (players). Tonight we had eight and we didn’t have any point guards,” said Mahar A coach Lee Rowe. “Right from the get-go, we were scrambling for who was going to handle the ball. When we set up our press, we didn’t have anybody in their regular position, so it was tough.”
The game came down to a 10-0 Conant run in the middle of the second half. Holding a two-point lead at 16-14, Conant played quick in transition, scoring 10 points in a matter of two minutes and 36 seconds. They went up 26-14 on a layup with 14 minutes and 53 seconds left in the second half.
Mahar A ended the game on a 7-0 run within the final eight minutes, but couldn’t catch Conant. During that span, Mahar A’s Tori Tenney generated two turnovers and assisted on a layup by Mary Anne Prescott with three minutes and 36 seconds left in the second half, moving within 12 at 34-22. A little over a minute later, Tenney turned a steal into a layup of her own. She ended the night with four points and two rebounds while generating seven of her team’s 14 turnovers.
“Tori is a great ball-handler,” said Rowe. “We need to work on her confidence a little bit and that’s going to come. I love seeing her on the open floor with the ball because I know good things are going to happen every time.”
Prescott ended Conant’s run to start the second with another layup to cut her team’s deficit to 10 at 26-16. She also moved Mahar A to within six by netting a free throw with 44 seconds left in the first half and tied the game at six with 14 minutes and 19 seconds left in the first. It was a good night for Prescott, who ended with a team-high 11 points and generated five rebounds.
”Mary Anne is fun to coach because she will do anything you ask,” said Rowe. “She does not want to handle the ball, but she does a good job when she gets it in her hands. She loves to rebound. So if we can get her near the ball, good things are going to happen.”
Mahar A trailed 16-12 going into halftime.
After Mahar A tied the game at six in the first half, Conant created an 8-0 run, holding Mahar A scoreless for a little more than nine minutes. Jazmyn Vautour (eight points) ended the drought with a three with five minutes and 41 seconds left in the first half.
Mahar A struggled defensively to begin the game, generating three rebounds in the first 10 minutes. They forced six turnovers in the first half, keeping things close at 9-6 Conant during that span.
“They adapted well and they played hard,” said Rowe. “That’s the best game effort-wise they’ve played all year. So we’ll take solace in the fact that we played hard and we play the same team again on Monday, so hopefully we will have a better result.”