ATHOL — The Athol girls basketball team had waited a long time to leave a game victorious against its archrival.
Mahar had dominated the rivalry the last five years, not dropping a contest along the way. That all changed on Tuesday, however, behind a late push from the Bears.
Athol found itself trailing 36-32 with three minutes to play when Sammy Mailloux scored a bucket to bring the Bears within two. Reily Polana then knocked down a shot with two minutes to play to tie the game at 36.
With 1:30 to go, Athol’s Emma Bacigalupo grabbed a rebound and took it coast-to-coast for the basket to put the Bears ahead, 38-36. Those would be the last points scored in the game, as host Athol pulled out a 38-36 victory in its season opener at Mallet Gymnasium.
“It was overwhelming,” Bacigalupo said of her final basket. “I had a good player on me and I had a slip up so I wanted to get it back. Going coast-to-coast, you have to look at the floor and that’s what I did. I saw the open lane and I took it.”
The Senators (0-2) had multiple chances to either tie the game or take the lead late. Kendra Doane’s shot with 25 seconds left bounced around the rim and out, with Athol grabbing the rebound.
The Bears turned it over on the other end, but Mahar turned it back over after racing up the court. That provided Athol with a chance to inbound under its own basket with seven seconds left.
Mahar didn’t let the game end there. Natalie Belloli stole the inbound and was fouled going up for the shot with five seconds left. Belloli missed the first free throw, setting up a situation where she needed to miss the second and hope for a rebound in the two-point game.
The senior missed the second and freshman Nevaeh Scribner came up with the rebound, with Senators coach Steve Bonk immediately call a timeout with 3.3 seconds remaining.
Out of the timeout Mahar got the ball to Doane, who dribbled into the lane and got off a runner at the free-throw line that didn’t fall, giving the Bears the victory.
“During the timeout I told them to not let them shoot 3’s because they were making them,” Athol coach Kelly Kaczmarczyk said. “I told them not to foul and they did everything I asked.”
The first quarter saw the Bears build a 12-10 lead behind six points from Polana and four from Bacigalupo. Both defenses locked in during the second quarter, with Athol scoring six points and the Senators scoring seven points in the frame as the Bears took an 18-17 lead into the locker room.
An early third quarter run gave Mahar the lead, with Doane scoring a basket before Sophia Woods knocked down a shot as the buzzer sounded to end the quarter, giving the Senators a 26-25 lead after 24 minutes.
Kaczmarczyk felt her team was able to stay alive and ultimately take the lead because of their fast break offense, not allowing Mahar to set up its defense.
“At first it was a little messy but they did the transition offense I asked them to do,” Kaczmarczyk said. “They got the ball up the floor quickly. They did the little things really well.”
Polana led Athol with 17 points, with Bacigalupo joining her in double figures with 13 points. Doane finished with 12 points for the Senators while Belloli tallied 10 points in the loss.
With a unit working together, the Bears are hopeful they can build off their opening season win.
“So far they’re getting along great,” Kaczmarczyk said. “They’re really cohesive. They’re cheering each other on from the bench and there’s no negativity. I love it.”
Mahar 58, Athol 37 — Tied 10-10 after eight minutes, the Senator offense exploded in the second and third quarters.
Mahar scored 18 points in the second frame — nine from Connor Sluder — to take a 28-14 lead into the half. The Senators then outscored the Bears 20-9 in the third quarter in full control with a 48-23 lead which ultimately turned into a 58-37 win at Mallet Gymnasium on Tuesday.
Will Barnes finished with 12 points for Mahar (2-0). Sluder and Gavin Sullivan each added 11 points while Hunter Martin tallied nine points.
Conal Tontodonato paced Athol (0-1) with 13 points. Beau Manning scored 10 points while Vincent Gordon added seven points in the loss.