LEWISTON – The Lewiston girls’ basketball team had its best offensive spurt in the third quarter Friday night.

Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, the Morse Shipbuilders were even more efficient.

Morse held off Lewiston’s challenge in the third and broke the game open in the fourth for a 45-35 victory.

The Shipbuilders lost seven seniors from last year’s club and replaced much of the starting lineup, but Morse still has a core group returning. That experience and continuity showed as the Shipbuilders pulled away in the second half.

“We all know each other and how we play,” said senior center Beth Suggs. “I feel like when we play our game, we can be unstoppable. We’ve learned to play as a team and not as individuals. Everyone that came back knows what we can do and how far we can push ourselves.”

Suggs led the Shipbuilders (1-2) with 13 points. Sarah Fitzgerald had 10 while Tarra Burr added eight. Lewiston struggled at times against the Morse postgame and its size on the boards.

“We’re all pretty strong and pretty big,” said Suggs. “We lift three days a week. We focus on our moves during practice. We’re all pretty big and strong post players, and we’ve been together all four years.”

Lewiston (0-3) was led by Jaime Swart with 10 while Kim Archibald added six.

Lewiston struggled with turnovers (27) and at the foul line (8-for-20). Down 16-12 at the half, Lewiston moved the ball well in the third quarter. The Blue Devils found open players and got quality shots from a variety of players. Lewiston cut the deficit to one three times but couldn’t get the lead. Though Lewiston shot 6-for-12 in the quarter, Morse hit four of its first five shots and six of its first nine.

“I can count three or four baskets that we should have had to get us from five to three or from three to one,” said Lewiston coach Mike McGraw. “It’s very hard when you work that hard, and we just didn’t get the just rewards.”

After a Fitzgerald basket made it 18-12 to start the second half, Swart hit a 3-pointer to get Lewiston within three. Later a post basket by Archibald and a jumper by Ashley Labonte made it 20-19. Morse answered with a Burr drive. Labonte set up Archibald for a basket to make it 22-21, but Suggs scored after a missed Lewiston layup to make it 24-21. Swart got Lewiston within one again with 2:07 left in the quarter, but Morse ran off six straight. Suggs and Burr scored on rebounds, and Burr added a pair of free throws.

In the fourth, Lewiston got within three on a basket by Patricia DeFosse, but Morse ran off 10 straight points. Brittany Alexander had all seven of her points in the fourth and had five during that run. Burr and Hillary Dube also helped pad the lead.

A free throw by Archibald and a Carley Denis hoop made it 40-34, but Suggs hit a free throw and scored on a fast break to open the lead again.

“We expend so much energy to get the ball,” said McGraw. “For us, a nine-point lead is like cutting it from 18 because we don’t have the offensive efficiency. When you drain yourself trying to get caught up, the minute they get a break it’s like you’re fighting all over again.”