SCARBOROUGH — Massabesic’s up-and-coming girls’ basketball team was sick of moral victories.

So now the Mustangs are earning some real ones.

In memorable fashion.

Two days after beating perennial power Gorham on a buzzer-beater, the Mustangs dug out of a 16-point first-half deficit Saturday at defending Class AA South champion Scarborough, roaring back for a 51-42 victory.

Massabesic held the Red Storm scoreless for nearly 11 minutes, took the lead for good on two free throws from Marissa Holt with 2:50 remaining, then got a clinching 3-pointer from Satyra Duong to close it out and improve to 5-3.

“These girls have played in big games in other sports, so the moment wasn’t too big for them,” said Massabesic Coach Chris Aube. “We’re not looking for moral victories anymore. We’re expecting to win now. It’s exciting for our community. It’s my third year, and I think we’re a little ahead of where I thought we’d be, but we still have a ways to go.”

The Mustangs, who took Scarborough to overtime before losing in the season opener, fell behind 14-10 after one quarter. Then, after the Red Storm sank five 3-pointers, Massabesic trailed 35-19 with under three minutes to go in the first half before creeping back within nine at halftime.

Massabesic then completely dominated the third quarter, holding Scarborough scoreless and closing to within 35-34 on a steal and layup from Holt.

Fifteen seconds into the fourth quarter, a free throw from Elisabeth LeFebvre snapped the Red Storm’s 10-minute, 47-second scoring drought and the Mustangs’ 15-0 run, but a reverse layup from Taylor Starbird and a free throw from Emily Jacobs gave Massabesic its first lead since the first quarter.

Madison Blanche’s driving layup put Scarborough back in front, 42-41, with 4:11 left, but the Red Storm didn’t score again. A free throw from Mary Duffy tied it, and Holt’s free throws put the Mustangs ahead. After another free throw by Duffy and a Micaela Jacobs layup, Duong got a 3-pointer from the corner to rattle around and drop. Duong, who finished with 15 points, added a free throw for the final margin.

“This feels so nice,” said Holt, who had 10 points and six assists. “We took them to overtime last time, but this feels so good to beat them, especially at their house. We focused on what we needed to do and we got it done.”

The Red Storm (4-4) got 12 points from Kayla Conley, 10 from Lindsay Fiorillo and eight from Blanche, but made just two field goals in the second half.

“Credit to (Massabesic),” said Scarborough Coach Mike Giordano. “They wanted it way more than we did today. They made us play faster than we wanted and took it to us in the second half. We rushed shots. That’s what their tempo forced us to do. We made shots in the first half, but not in the second.”