There were no monstrous runs, spectacular shooting displays and embarrassingly large leads.
This time, No. 4 Severna Park took a more subtle approach to defeating No. 11 Old Mill. But the outcome was every bit as satisfying to the Falcons.
And just as important.
They stayed within a game of No. 8 Arundel in the Anne Arundel County 4A League with yesterday's 55-42 victory over the Patriots.
Angela DeSalvo scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds and handed out four assists, as the Falcons improved to 18-2 overall, 11-1 in the league. Their only 4A loss came against Arundel (20-0, 12-0) on Tuesday.
Dana Dawson had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Old Mill (15-5, 9-3), which sought to avenge a 65-47 loss to Severna Park last Friday.
In that game, the Patriots fell behind 18-2 and never recovered. Yesterday, they took a 5-0 lead and remained in front until a three-point play by Ashley Evans moved Severna Park ahead 13-11.
The visitors increased their lead to nine points after DeSalvo scored inside with less than two minutes left in the half, but Old Mill countered with two free throws by Mary Chicorelli and baskets by Dawson and Seneka Blackwell.
Despite making just six of 35 shots in the half, Old Mill had stayed close, trailing 25-20. But it never would regain the lead.
"I told them the first time we played them, you can't bet on doing that every night," said Severna Park coach Kevin McGrath,
whose team had won 11 in a row before Tuesday.
"That was ridiculous how well we shot. Then, we had the Arundel game where we didn't shoot well at all. I said this is much more realistic what you can expect on an average night.
"Tonight, there were parts where we looked real good and parts where we looked sloppy. The nice thing is, they rebounded after the sloppy parts to pull the ballgame out."
Said DeSalvo: "We knew this one would be tougher, being at their place. I think they were more up for this game than they were the first time. I think the first time, they took us for granted, but we came out and showed them we could win, even at their place, and prove to them it wasn't a fluke the first time."
Dawson opened the third quarter with a free throw, reducing the lead to four, but Severna Park reeled off the next eight points. DeSalvo scored in the lane, Jennifer Holmes made two free throws and scored inside, and Sandy Jenkin (eight points, 12 rebounds) hit twice from the line.
Holmes, a 6-foot-2 junior, then picked up her fourth foul with 4:56 left and didn't return until late in the fourth quarter, but she finished with 12 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.
Old Mill got within eight points in the third quarter and six early in the fourth, but Severna Park always had an answer. Evans, who contributed seven points and six rebounds off the bench, followed an Alli Adams miss and DeSalvo made a layup for a 43-33 lead with five minutes left.
Kerri Eland (12 points) hit from beyond the arc with 1:11 left to reduce Severna Park's lead to 49-40, but Adams made a three-pointer on the Falcons' next possession.
"We wanted to try to get a balanced attack of inside and outside, and we had some good shots, but we just couldn't make them," said Old Mill coach Pat Chance. "They had their shot at winning it and just couldn't do it."