FALMOUTH—Falmouth senior Maddy Christman is a difference maker.
When she’s on the floor, good things tend to happen for the Navigators girls’ basketball team.
But Friday evening, Christman had to spend chunks of time on the bench due to foul trouble and the visiting Windham Eagles took advantage.
Christman picked up two fouls in just over two minutes to start the game and the Eagles grabbed a 9-7 lead after one quarter.
Christman returned for the second period and scored four points to help Falmouth open up a 15-11 advantage at the break.
The Navigators were up three early in the third quarter when Christman picked up her third foul and had to sit again and Windham took advantage, closing the frame on an 11-0 run to lead, 26-18.
The Eagles ultimately went ahead by 10, but Falmouth rallied, pulling within four points at 34-30 on a Christman basket with 4:06 to play, but the Navigators wouldn’t score again and thanks in large part to the heroics of junior Stella Jarvais and sophomore Brianna Duarte, Windham closed out a 38-30 victory.
Jarvais led all scorers 14 points as the Eagles improved to 6-8 on the season while dropping Falmouth to 2-10 in the process.
“Maddy is a defensive force for us,” said Navigators coach Dawn Armandi. “She is the best shot blocker in Class A. Unfortunately, she got taken out of the game with fouls. Sometimes calls go your way and sometimes they don’t. That certainly hurt us, but I think we played hard.”
Becoming a contender
Windham started the year 0-3 and 2-6, but came into the contest having won three of five games, including Thursday’s 41-30 victory at Portland.
Falmouth, meanwhile, started with losses at Gray-New Gloucester (53-38) and Westbrook (44-31) and at home to Deering (41-36) before getting in the win column with a 54-43 home victory over Class AA South contender South Portland. The Navigators then fell at Gorham (55-29), against Yarmouth in a holiday game at the Portland Exposition Building (49-38) and at home to Greely (47-37) and Gray-New Gloucester (52-37). After outlasting host Deering in overtime (42-41), Falmouth lost at home to Brunswick (58-23) and at Marshwood (58-43).
Falmouth and Windham hadn’t met in a countable game since the Eagles rallied for a dramatic 51-46 victory in the 2015 Western A preliminary round of the tournament.
Friday, there wasn’t much separation between the teams, but Windham made a second half lead hold up.
Falmouth senior Reese Farraher tries to get the ball to senior Maddy Christman as Windham senior Mallory Muse defends during the Eagles’ 38-30 victory Friday. Hoffer photos.
The Eagles opened the scoring when Jarvais made a free throw, but the Navigators answered on a 3-point shot from senior Peaches Stucker, which banked in with 5:50 on the clock.
Eleven seconds later, Christman picked up her second foul and she had to sit the rest of the opening stanza.
After Jarvais made a foul shot, she took a pass from Duarte and made a layup to put Windham back in front. Sophomore Marley Jarvais added a bank shot before senior Reese Farraher answered with a long jumper.
After Duarte made a free throw, Marley Jarvais got her second foul with 1:18 remaining, then 15 seconds later, Stella Jarvais was whistled for her second foul.
After sophomore Jane McPheeters pulled Falmouth even with a putback, two Duarte free throws gave the Eagles a 9-7 lead after eight minutes.
Christman returned to the floor for the second period and stayed out of foul trouble, helping the Navigators open up a slim advantage.
Sophomore Addie Caiazzo opened the frame with a jump shot, but Falmouth closed the half on an 8-0 run.
After Christman made two free throws for her first points, sophomore Jaelyn Meader, who gave the Navigators some great minutes off the bench, tied the score with a nice spinner in the lane.
After Farraher got a jumper to rattle in, Christman scored on a putback to make it 15-11 Falmouth at the half.
Windham then dominated the third quarter and took control of the game.
Windham junior Stella Jarvais defends Falmouth senior Maddy Christman.
Forty-six seconds in, the Eagles snapped an 8 minute, 17 second drought as Stella Jarvais set up Caiazzo for a layup.
Stella Jarvais then tied the score with a layup, but senior Kate Barter put the Navigators back in front with a free throw, then Meader banked home a shot with 6:17 remaining for an 18-15 lead.
But the rest of the quarter was all Windham, as Christman was sidelined with her third foul 15 seconds later.
After Stella Jarvais made two free throws, Marley Jarvais tied the score with a foul shot, then with 2:34 to go, Stella Jarvais sank two free throws to put the Eagles ahead to stay.
Late in the quarter, Stella Jarvais set up senior Mallory Muse for a layup, Caiazzo set up Stella Jarvais for a layup and Duarte added a layup for a 26-18 advantage.
“We could do a lot more with (Christman) off the floor,” said Windham coach Brody Artes. “We could focus more on the perimeter game defensively, as opposed to the inside-out. It was big for us to attack her and get her in foul trouble.”
When Marley Jarvais drove for a layup 41 seconds into the fourth period, Windham was up double digits, but Falmouth would fight hard to the finish.
With 7:01 on the clock, Barter made a 3 to snap the Eagles’ 13-0 surge and a 7:16 drought.
Stucker then made a jumper and with 5:28 to play, Barter’s putback pulled the Navigators within just three, 28-25.
Duarte then stepped up with two huge shots.
First, she took a pass from Stella Jarvais and made a 3 with 4:58 remaining.
At the other end, Meader made a 3 but with 4:21 left, Stella Jarvais again set up Duarte for a 3 and a 34-28 lead.
“That (shot) gave us so much momentum,” Stella Jarvais said. “The more we play together, the better we’re doing.”
Christman’s bank shot with 4:06 to go pulled Falmouth back within four, but the Navigators wouldn’t score again.
With 1:44 to play, Stella Jarvais drove for a layup.
With 35.1 seconds showing, Marley Jarvais sank two free throws and that brought the curtain down on the Eagles’ 38-30 victory.
“It was a good team win,” Artes said. “We had some kids step up who hadn’t played a ton of minutes and held it together for us so we could make that run. We got in foul trouble and had to go deeper in our bench than we’re used to. We’re also dealing with some injuries.”
Stella Jarvais had 14 points, to go with four assists and three rebounds.
“At the beginning, I got two quick fouls and that had me out of the game for awhile,” Jarvais said. “In the second half, I tried to stay composed, but my game is really aggressive. I tried to stick with it, but not foul.”
“Stella’s been our engine all year,” said Artes. “We try to get everything to go through her, whether it’s her taking a shot or her making an extra pass for an outside pass.”
Duarte added 11 points and six rebounds. Marley Jarvais finished with seven points, a game-high 10 rebounds and three steals. Caiazzo contributed four points and five rebounds and Muse finished with two points, four rebounds and two blocked shots.
Windham enjoyed a 38-31 advantage on the glass, made 12-of-19 free throws and overcame 21 turnovers.
Falmouth’s effort was paced by Meader, who had seven points and two steals. Barter (four rebounds) had six points, as did Christman, who also six rebounds and four blocks. Stucker finished with five points and six rebounds, Farraher had four points and McPheeters tallied two, to go with nine rebounds and two assists.
The Navigators made just 3-of-9 free throws and turned the ball over 17 times.
“The girls fought really hard,” Armandi said. “I’d rather lose games like this than how we’ve been playing. We weren’t able to put the ball in the hoop very well. ”
Two weeks left
Windham (currently ranked sixth in the Class AA North Heal Points standings) hopes to hand visiting Cheverus its first loss Tuesday of next week. The Eagles then go to Oxford Hills before closing the regular season with home games versus Edward Little and Gorham.
“(Assistant coach Gary) Fifield tells us to get one percent better every day and that’s what we’re moving toward,” Stella Jarvais said. “Just working on our game, boxing out, trying to stop the other team. If we work on us moving toward playoffs, that will make us better.”
“We have to get organized and take care of the ball and we have to rebound,” said Artes. “We have to do the little things. We’re playing teams we could potentially see in the playoffs. We want to peak at the right time and be our best for the tournament.”
Falmouth, currently 10th in Class A South and in need of some big wins down the stretch to qualify for the tournament, is back in action Saturday afternoon, at home versus Mt. Ararat. After going to Kennebunk, Brunswick and Fryeburg Academy next week. the Navigators close with home games versus Freeport and Westbrook.
“Tomorrow will be an important game for us,” said Armandi. “We tell the girls that at this point, we have nothing to lose, so to go out and play hard and good things will happen. Hopefully we can change momentum.”
Sports Editor Michael Hoffer can be reached at mhoffer@theforecaster.net. For game updates and links to game stories, follow him on Threads: @foresports2023
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