Mt. Ararat girls edge Falmouth in thriller

Mt. Ararat 48 Falmouth 46

MA- 5 15 9 19- 48
F- 12 10 11 13- 46

MA- Daulerio 5-2-13, Pomerleau 4-0-12, Lampert 3-0-7, Kinney 2-2-6, Beal 1-2-5, Williams 1-1-3, Hanson 1-0-2

F- Ginevan 9-4-22, Turgeon 6-9-21, Christman 1-0-2, Means 0-1-1

3-pointers:
MA (7) Pomerleau 4, Beal, Daulerio, Lampert 1
F (0)

Turnovers:
MA- 21
F- 19

FTs
MA: 7-14
F: 14-23

FALMOUTH—Mt. Ararat’s girls’ basketball team had every reason to roll over and accept their first defeat Tuesday evening at Falmouth.

Before the game was six minutes old, the Eagles found themselves down 10 points as fouls added up and the Navigators scored multiple easy layups.

But Mt. Ararat is nothing if not gritty and determined and an improbable shot, a banked-home 3-pointer from senior 6-foot-3 center Elsa Daulerio, sparked a comeback.

By halftime, the Eagles had crept within two, 22-20.

Three minutes into the second half, a Daulerio bank shot put Mt. Ararat ahead for the first time, but behind the heroics of its two junior standouts, Sloane Ginevan and Anna Turgeon, Falmouth responded and retook the lead, 33-29, heading to the fourth quarter.

When Turgeon converted a shot with 6:55 to go, the Navigators were up six, but again, the Eagles roared back and went ahead, 41-40, on a putback from freshman Kennedy Lampert midway through the final stanza.

Falmouth then threatened to take control again, when Ginevan stole the ball and set up Turgeon for a three-point play and a 45-42 advantage with 2:32 on the clock, but once more, Mt. Ararat countered and when freshman sharpshooter Cali Pomerleau drained a 3 with 49.9 seconds remaining, the Eagles led, 47-46.

The Navigators had three great looks down the stretch, but after Ginevan twice missed in close, Daulerio made a foul shot, then she blocked a shot from Turgeon just before the horn and Mt. Ararat held on for its biggest win to date, 48-46.

Daulerio had 13 points, Pomerleau added 12 and the Eagles improved to 5-0, dropping Falmouth, which got 22 points from Ginevan and 21 from Turgeon, to 3-1.

“I have a great group of kids who work hard,” said Mt. Ararat coach Julie Petrie. “Different players step up every game. I’m really proud of our grit. We don’t give up when we’re down.”

Setting the pace

Falmouth and Mt. Ararat have each enjoyed initial success this winter and both believe the best is yet to come.

The Eagles started by surviving host Marshwood in overtime (54-51), then defeated visiting Camden Hills (56-30) and Leavitt (34-19) before rallying to edge host Yarmouth, 36-33.

The Navigators started with a 49-33 victory at Biddeford, then downed visiting Kennebunk (71-38) and won at Marshwood (51-37) before having games versus South Portland and Brunswick postponed.

Falmouth and Mt. Ararat didn’t meet last winter. They did play in 2019-20, with the then-Yachtsmen earning a 39-31 home victory.

Tuesday, Falmouth appeared poised to run away to an easy win, but the Eagles had other ideas.

Mt. Ararat senior Elsa Daulerio and Falmouth sophomore Maddy Christman leap for the opening tip. Hoffer photos.

The tone was set just over a minute in, when Falmouth sophomore Maddy Christman passed ahead to Ginevan for an easy layup.

Mt. Ararat tied the score on a bank shot from Daulerio, but Turgeon sank two free throws, Turgeon made two more, then Ginevan scored on a putback, Ginevan took a pass from Turgeon and made a layup, then sophomore Reese Farraher set up Ginevan for another layup and a 12-2 advantage with 2:05 to go in the opening stanza.

The Navigators couldn’t deliver the knockout blow, however.

With 1:04 on the clock, senior Maddie Kinney made two free throws for the visitors to end the 10-0 Falmouth run and a 5 minute, 16 second scoring drought.

Junior Desneige Williams added a foul shot to pull the Eagles within seven, 12-5, heading to the second period.

There, Mt. Ararat tightened things up even more.

A minute into the frame, Daulerio launched a pull-up 3-pointer from well behind the arc and the ball kissed off the glass and in to give the Eagles a spark.

“I just decided to take it and see what happens and it worked,” Daulerio said.

Turgeon countered with a free throw to end a 3:58 drought, then Turgeon made a layup after a steal by junior Justine Means for a 15-8 lead.

The visitors got a layup from Williams, but Ginevan made a free throw, then Means set up Ginevan for a layup on the fastbreak to make it 18-10 with 5:03 remaining in the half.

Freshman Avery Beal answered with a 3 for the Eagles, but Ginevan drove for a layup in traffic.

After being fouled while shooting a 3-pointer, Beal sank two free throws, but again, Falmouth countered, as Ginevan hit two foul shots.

Late in the half, Pomerleau first made her presence felt with a 3, then, Kinney got the ball off an inbounds set and banked home a shot to cut the deficit to 22-20 at halftime.

“Once we calmed down, we gained our confidence back,” said Petrie. “Once we get settled, we’re OK. Basketball’s a game of possession. We knew we couldn’t gain those 10 points back in one possession, so we had to chip away and get stops.”

Ginevan had 15 first half points to lead the Navigators, but eight Falmouth turnovers kept Mt. Ararat close.

Mt. Ararat freshman Avery Reed defends Falmouth junior Sloane Ginevan.

The third quarter would be frenetic, as the teams combined for 16 turnovers, and while Falmouth again threatened to pull away, the Eagles didn’t let it happen.

Ginevan started the second half the way she started the game, with a basket, as she got a runner to fall, but Daulerio answered with a layup.

After Christman scored the Navigators’ first non-Ginevan or Turgeon points on a putback, Lampert hit a 3 and with 5 minutes to go in the quarter, Daulerio banked home a contested shot for the Eagles’ first lead, 27-26.

Means tied it with a free throw, then Turgeon put Falmouth back top with two foul shots before Ginevan scored on a left-handed leaner for a 31-27 lead.

Beal set up junior Haliegh Hanson for a layup for the visitors, but with 15.6 seconds remaining, Turgeon drove for a layup and the Navigators took a 33-29 advantage to the fourth period.

Where Mt. Ararat wouldn’t be denied.

Pomerleau opened the final stanza with a 3 to cut the deficit to a single point, but Turgeon drove for a layup, was fouled in the process, then hit the and-one free throw for the old-fashioned three-point play. Turgeon then got a contested leaner to rattle home and with 6:55 left, Falmouth held a 38-32 lead.

But it wouldn’t last.

A driving layup from Lampert was followed by another Pomerleau 3 and with 5:17 on the clock, the Eagles were back within one.

Turgeon answered by driving for a layup, but Kinney scored on a putback and after a Pomerleau steal, Lampert scored on a putback and with 4:23 to go, Mt. Ararat was back in the lead, 41-40.

It took the Navigators just 12 seconds to respond, as on an inbounds pass out of a timeout, Means fed Ginevan for a layup.

Daulerio then tied the score with a free throw, but Ginevan was fouled with 2:45 to play.

Ginevan missed both attempts, but she stole the ball back and fed Turgeon, who made a layup while being fouled and she completed the three-point play for a 45-42 lead with 2:32 left.

The Eagles then rose off the deck one final time.

With 1:25 remaining, Kinney set up Daulerio for a layup to cut the deficit to one.

Twenty-three seconds later, Ginevan was fouled and while she missed her first free throw, she made the second for a 46-44 advantage.

That set the stage for Pomerleau to play the hero.

With 49.9 seconds on the clock, Pomerleau found a spot in the corner, took a pass from Beal, then rose and calmly buried her 3-point attempt to put Mt. Ararat ahead for good, 47-46.

“I just got the ball and knew I was open and I was just going to ‘pull it,'” said Pomerleau. “It felt good off my hand and I knew it was going in. The first few games I was a little nervous, but now I’ve gotten in the rhythm with the team and learned my role.”

“(Cali) had some big 3s for us tonight,” said Daulerio. “She was great.”

“(Cali) played a big-time game,” Petrie added. “That shot I knew was in. I’m really proud of her. She did everything I asked of her tonight. She’s learning and getting better every game.”

“We could have done a better job and could have gone man-to-man there, but both of my bigs were in foul trouble, so I took a risk and we didn’t do a very good job keeping our eyes on her,” said Falmouth coach Dawn Armandi. “Kudos to her for making that shot.”

Pomerleau then stole the ball, but Lampert missed the front end of a one-and-one.

Daulerio was able to come down with the rebound, but Ginevan got her hand on the ball, forced a held ball situation and the arrow pointed Falmouth’s way, giving the hosts another opportunity.

With 12.6 seconds left, the Navigators inbounded under their basket and appeared poised to retake the lead when Means found Ginevan alone, but Ginevan couldn’t convert and while she got her own rebound, she couldn’t finish that either.

Daulerio then got possession and was fouled with 6.8 seconds on the clock. Daulerio hit the front end of the one-and-one, but missed the second and the rebound was knocked out to Falmouth, keeping hope alive for the home team.

The Navigators had to go the length of the court to tie or win, but that was no problem for Turgeon, who weaved through the defense and got all the way to the basket. Turgeon soared for a potential game-tying shot, but Daulerio swatted it aside and in the ensuing scrum, the horn sounded and Mt. Ararat was able to celebrate its 48-46 victory.

Mt. Ararat celebrates the win.

“I was really focused on staying straight up and not fouling,” said Daulerio. “It felt great when the horn sounded. We had to keep our heads up and work together. That’s how we pulled it off.”

“I think our defensive intensity changed it around,” Pomerleau said. “We got some steals and that us going in transition. We were able to break their press and get some easy layups.”

“Elsa does a lot of things for us at both ends,” Petrie added. “She played a huge game. It was very scary at the end. We knew what we needed to do defensively and we were able to pull it out.”

The Eagles had a balanced attack, which was led by Daulerio’s 13 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots and Pomerleau’s 12 points, three assists, three rebounds and three steals. Lampert added seven points, Kinney had six (to go with seven rebounds and two steals), Beal five (to go with five rebounds and three assists), Williams three and Hanson two.

Mt. Ararat had all seven of the game’s 3-pointers and overcame 21 turnovers and 7 of 14 foul shooting.

For Falmouth, Ginevan led all scorers with 22 points, while Turgeon was right behind with 21 points, six rebounds and a pair of steals.

“Anna was amazing,” Armandi said. “Anna and Sloane did the best they could. They have to do it on both ends of the floor. That makes them tired.”

Christman had two points, nine rebounds and three blocks and Means had one point, six rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals.

The Navigators had a 35-34 rebounding edge, but made just 14 of 23 free throws and committed 19 turnovers.

“We had a lot of easy shots that just didn’t fall and credit to (the Eagles), they hit the big shots at the end when they needed to,” Armandi said. “We just didn’t have depth tonight. We’ve been off for a week and the girls were tired. It showed tonight. My girls did the best they could tonight with the circumstance we were in.”

Long season

The teams will play again Feb. 1 in Topsham and could give local fans a treat if they square off a third time in the tournament.

But first things first.

Mt. Ararat is back in action Thursday at Morse, then returns home Jan. 6 to face Biddeford.

“This gives us a lot of confidence, but we still have work to do to get better,” Pomerleau said.

“It’s great to be in tight, competitive situations early in the season,” Petrie said. “These kids go for it every night. Hopefully, we’ll only get better.”

Falmouth hosts South Portland for a makeup game Thursday, then opens the 2022 portion of its schedule with a key test Jan. 6 in Gorham.

“We’ll get back at it,” said Armandi. “This was a good learning experience, but this game didn’t matter. What matters is what we do in February.”