WELLS — After making just 5 of 25 shots in the first half – with nearly all of those shots coming from the perimeter despite a clear height advantage – the Falmouth girls’ basketball team was in a 16-13 halftime hole against sophomore-laden Wells.
“Which means what?” Falmouth Coach Mari Warner asked. “When the outside shots aren’t falling, you get closer. You get points in the paint.”
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Adelaide Cooke got the message and senior forward Ally Hickey helped with her defense-to-offense transition in a 13-3 third-quarter run that led to Falmouth’s 36-26 win Thursday night.
The key sequence came after Cooke tied the game at 19 with a gritty bucket in traffic and made the ensuing free throw.
With points coming at a snail’s pace, Falmouth had what amounted to an offensive explosion when Hickey created back-to-back steals at the point of Falmouth’s full-court pressure. Hickey converted the first into her own three-point play, then stole the ensuing rebound and fed Dayna Vasconcelos for a layup and 24-19 lead.
“Every point fires our team up,” said Hickey, who scored eight despite foul trouble. “So when we do get a couple points it’s a big deal.”
Falmouth improved to 1-1.
Wells is now 0-3. The Warriors returned only three varsity players from their Western Class B final team, started five sophomores and does not have a senior on the roster.
The Warriors were sharp and precise in their man-to-man offense in the first quarter. Taking the ball inside, Wells was 5 of 9 and led 10-8 at the first break, with Halee Ramsdell scoring six of her nine points. In contrast, Falmouth was 3 of 17.
“We were patient and precise,” Wells Coach Don Abbott said. “In stretches of all three of our games I’ve seen glimpses of the team that I believe we can become. We’ll get used to playing for 32 minutes instead of for eight minutes or four minutes.”
Wells’ Natalie Thurber led all scorers with 15 points. Her 3-pointer soon after halftime gave Wells its only points of the third quarter and its last lead at 19-16.
Falmouth slowly built its lead to 28-19 with a fast-break layup from Vasconcelos and one of Cooke’s two fourth-quarter offensive rebound baskets.
“She’s really improved on making her shots,” Hickey said of Cooke, a powerful sophomore.
“She’s finishing and even when she doesn’t she’s not settling and going back and getting the ball again.”
Falmouth’s Alaina Birkel made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 1:21 to keep Wells at bay, and finished with a team-high nine points. Cooke and Hickey each scored eight.
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