Div. 4 girls basketball: No. 4 Bourne holds off upset-minded No. 13 Frontier for 64-60 Round of 16 win

Frontier’s Skyler Steele drives on a Manchester Essex defender during the Redhawks’ state tournament game at Goodnow Gymnasium in South Deerfield last week.

Frontier’s Skyler Steele drives on a Manchester Essex defender during the Redhawks’ state tournament game at Goodnow Gymnasium in South Deerfield last week. STAFF PHOTO/PAUL FRANZ

Staff Reports

Published: 03-05-2025 9:19 PM

The Frontier girls basketball team was feeling upset-minded Wednesday night on the Cape.

The 13th-seeded Redhawks got off to a strong start against No. 4 Bourne and carried a lead at halftime — important in any tournament upset attempt. They held that lead into the fourth quarter, before the Canalmen ripped off a 10-0 run that forced Frontier to play catch-up. The Hawks stayed within striking distance but could never regain their lead, ultimately falling 64-60 in a wild MIAA Division 4 Round of 16 contest in Bourne.

Bourne (21-2) advanced to host No. 5 Cohasset in the state quarterfinals.

Whitney Campbell’s 3-pointer with 6 minutes, 24 seconds remaining gave Frontier a 50-46 advantage. But Bourne responded with a 10-0 run, snatching control of the game via a 56-50 lead.

Frontier didn’t go away. Skyler Steele sank a 3 with 3:10 to play, and Addie Harrington later hit a 3 to make it 59-57 Bourne with 1:50 to play.

Trailing 61-57 on the next possession, Claire Kirkendall hit another 3 for the Hawks, this one cutting the deficit to 61-60 with 1:09 to go.

Frontier (18-4) had a look to take the lead inside the final minute, but turnover with 35 seconds left led to a pair of Bourne free throws on the other end. Steele’s 3 to tie the game rimmed out with 18 seconds left, and Bourne made one of two from the stripe with 14.7 seconds left to make it a two-possession game. The Hawks were unable to get any closer in the 64-60 final.

The Hawks led 14-11 after one quarter, using a 9-0 run between the first and second quarters to take a 20-11 advantage at one point. The visitors held a 28-23 halftime lead on the road.

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Kirkendall’s 3 with 3:00 left in the third had the Hawks up 40-36, but Bourne answered with a 10-2 run to close out the quarter and take a 46-42 advantage into the final stanza.