TURNERS FALLS — Games going down to the final buzzer are becoming a theme for the Smith Academy girls basketball team.
After winning on a last-second shot last week however, the Falcons were unable to match that late magic on Tuesday night.
Host Franklin Tech took a two-point lead on a pair of free throws from Faith Smith with 1 minute, 32 seconds remaining in regulation, and the Eagles survived a pair of misses in the waning seconds to survive for a 35-33 victory in a Franklin County League South contest.
“You find out a lot about the kids’ character when you play a tight one like this,” offered Franklin Tech coach Joe Gamache. “Hats off to (Smith Academy). They’re an aggressive team. We had some kids step up — we were missing a few players so the kids showed a lot of heart and character.”
The Falcons (2-1, 1-1) trailed 35-33 but had the ball with 7.2 seconds remaining. Following a timeout, Smith got two good looks at the potential tying bucket. Amanda Novak, the hero of last week’s dramatic win against Pioneer, had her shot rim out before teammate Emma Moynihan grabbed an offensive rebound in traffic. Moynihan managed to get a shot up just before the buzzer that would have forced overtime, but it stayed on the rim and ultimately fell out.
“I’m proud of the kids. They dug in and played hard,” Smith Academy coach Dave Zononi said. “They’re doing a lot of the right things and working hard. It’s a tough one but we’re going to learn from a game like this.”
Neither team led by more than four points over the final quarter and a half. After trailing for most of the night, Franklin Tech (3-1, 2-0) retook the lead with 1:30 left in the third quarter on a Smith layup that made it 23-22.
The Falcons used a steal and a bucket in the final seconds of the third quarter from Moynihan to head into the fourth with a 26-25 advantage.
Kaitlin Trudeau’s jumper and a 3-pointer from Hannah Gilbert to open the final period gave the Eagles a 30-26 lead, though the Falcons stormed back thanks to four straight points from Bailey McCoy. Another 3 from Gilbert gave Tech a 33-30 advantage, but Moynihan, who finished with a game-high 13 points, sank a free throw and added a layup with 3:14 left to pull things even at 33.
It stayed that way until Smith’s two free throws with 1:32 left, and neither team was able to score the rest of the way.
Franklin Tech’s win was bolstered largely but its interior work, as the trio of Smith, Lea Chapman and Gilbert combined for 38 rebounds. Smith had eight points and 17 boards in a strong effort off the bench, while Gilbert (11 points) and Trudeau (10) each went for double figures.
“Our post players stepped up,” Gamache lauded.
McCoy finished with seven points while Caitlin Graves had five points for the Falcons. Novak and Rose McCollough each scored four on the night.
“We’re treading in the right direction,” Zononi said.
Franklin Tech next travels to Athol on Monday, while Smith Academy is off until a Dec. 30 home game against Mohawk Trail.