LEWISTON – It is difficult to learn how to win when the victories are nonexistent.

Most of the Lewiston girls’ basketball team had not won a game at the high school varsity level, but the Blue Devils earned a little education on the subject Friday night. Lewiston won its first game since the 2005-2006 season with a 52-50 win over Leavitt.

“Last year, we didn’t win and we hadn’t won this year,” said sophomore guard Ashley Labonte. “Hopefully, this motivates us to try our hardest in every game and possibly win more games.”

Labonte led Lewiston with 14 points in a battle of winless teams. The Blue Devils (1-7) built a 15-point lead in the second quarter and were up by as many as 16 before the Hornets (0-8) rallied. Though Leavitt took a brief lead, Lewiston got the lead back and held off the Hornets.

“I think we’re all happy, and we’re overwhelmed with it,” said Labonte. “We were all jumping up and down. We’re just so excited. Hopefully, we can win our next game.”

Labonte’s 14 points was a season high. Jaime Swart added 12. Lewiston overcame foul trouble, having three starters with four fouls and another with three entering the final quarter. Two starters fouled out, but the Blue Devils got contributions off the bench to salvage the victory.

“It was a whole team effort,” said Lewiston coach Brian Laramee. “It took every player. Everybody had their role, and they did it real well. The biggest thing was keeping their heads and not getting down. There were some situations late in the game where self doubt could have crept in.”

Leavitt got 20 points from Courtney Anderson and 10 from Morgan Bernier. Leavitt’s fullcourt pressure forced over 20 turnovers in the second half and fueled the comeback, but it was an uphill climb most of the way.

“We didn’t play in the first quarter, and that killed us,” said Leavitt coach Tammy Anderson. “That should have been a win for us. They came out flat in the first quarter. I told them ‘We have to play with intensity.’ The second half of the second quarter and the rest of the game, they played intense, but they had built a deficit. Then you have to make that up while also playing intense.”

A pair scores by Bernier and one by Anderson had the lead down to 40-33 after three quarters. A drive by Anderson got Leavitt within five early in the fourth. Anderson got the Hornets within two, but a Labonte basket made it 44-40 with 5:00 left. After a Bernier layup, she converted an Anderson feed for a three-point play for Leavitt’s only lead, 45-44. Labonte answered right back with a drive and three-point play with 3:35 left.

“I got down for a second, but I knew I had to keep moving,” said Labonte. “I knew I couldn’t put my head down or the rest of the team would put its head down. So I had to step up, and that’s what I tried to do.”

Free throws by Labonte and Kim Archibald made it 49-45, but Leavitt got within two twice. Anderson fed Paige Dyer, and Megan Miller scored off an inbounds play. Each time, Lewiston managed to draw a foul and pad the lead with foul shots by Swart and Labonte. Leavitt had the chance to tie late in the game, but a steal by Amanda Cloutier nixed one threat and a traveling call in the final seconds cost them a final shot.

“The self-doubt is harder to beat than any teams that we play,” said Laramee. “Maybe now we’ll be playing with more confidence.”