The young Francis Scott Key Eagles could have, and probably should have, been devastated.
They saw their comfortable 10-point halftime lead turn into a four-point deficit after three quarters against North Carroll last night.
Instead, Eagles first-year coach Alice Smith told her players the fourth quarter belonged to them. Indeed it did.
The visiting Eagles tightened up on defense, made some big shots and hit their free throws down the stretch to come away with a 55-45 win over North Carroll.
It was the second county win in two nights for the Eagles (2-1), who defeated Liberty Monday to give Smith her first varsity career win.
"We had two games that were very close and that helped get it done. We let up a lot in the third quarter and I just told them we needed to start hustling again," said Smith. "We got some steals and layups and the free throws helped."
After trailing 25-15 at the half, the Panthers (0-3) looked like an entirely different team in the third quarter. And when Aubrey Wilfong drove the lane for two and Cori Bradford hit a jumper at the end of the third quarter to give the Panthers a 36-32 lead, it looked as if they had taken control.
The Eagles had other ideas. Sophomore Nicole Keffer (17 points) converted a three-point play on the Eagles' first possession of the fourth quarter to cut the Panthers' lead to 36-35 and fellow sophomore Jen Wildesen scored on a leaner with six minutes left to give the Eagles a 37-36 lead they did not relinquish.
Senior Maureen Ritcey, who scored a game-high 18 points, scored on a back-door play from Keffer to give the Eagles a 42-37 lead with 5:12 left. Pam Lochner had a steal and lay-in midway through the half to increase the lead to 46-39 and the Eagles hit seven of 12 free throws late.
The Panthers -- with Teresa Mays, Kathleen Tunney and Wilfong all in foul trouble in the fourth -- couldn't respond.
"We've been playing very tentative all season up until that third quarter. We made a concerted effort to be more aggressive and did just that," said North Carroll coach Greg Knill. "The fourth quarter we were worried about fouls and it became an issue. You also have got to give Key credit, they hit their free throws down the stretch."
North Carroll got back in the game behind Kandi Lippy's seven third-quarter points and some good free-throw shooting. In the third, it got to the line 11 times and converted on nine of them. Melissa Wilfong finished with 10 for the Panthers to share team honors with Lippy.