AUGUSTA — Winning the game was one goal but winning over hearts and minds was another for the Livermore Falls girls’ basketball team Tuesday.

The Andies were making their first trip to Augusta since 2006 and just the second since 2002. Despite battling some nerves in new surroundings, Livermore Falls was able to give the MVC champions from Hall-Dale a challenge. The Andies fell short, 49-38, but produced the kind of showing they hoped for.

“We got experience on this floor,” said Livermore coach Mark Simpson. “Five of my top six kids are coming back. I told them in the locker room, ‘You made me proud. You played hard and didn’t let it get away from you. You showed people that you do belong here, and that’s all we wanted to accomplish.'”

With the Andies (13-6) limited quarterfinal experience, the Bulldogs, who played at the ACC just last week in the MVC title game, were expected to be at ease in the tournament atmosphere. It was an advantage but one the Andies were able to overcome and get within four points late in the game before the Bulldogs pulled away.

“They were really scared,” said Simpson. “We got here about an hour before the game and just walked around. They were pretty nervous, and it showed. They were tight and luckily they were able to pull it back together.”

Down by 12 in the fourth, the Andies scored eight straight. A Marissa Welch basket with 5:53 left made it 34-30 but an offensive foul and a subsequent technical on Simpson changed all momentum the Andies had.

“We had it going,” said Simpson, who declined to discuss the officiating.

Carylanne Wolfington hit the two free throws to make it 38-32. Livermore got within 36-32 and 38-34 on free throws by Welch and Megan Therrien, but Hall-Dale (15-4) hit its free throws down the stretch. After a nice backdoor cut by Erika Brann made it 40-34, the Bulldogs hit nine free throws down the line to pad the lead.

Wolfington led the Bulldogs with 11 points while Jess Woods added 10 and Brann had nine. Livermore did a nice job defending Hall-Dale center Taylor Massey, who had seven in the third before fouling out in the fourth.

Welch had 14 for the Andies while Ventrella added 12.

Hall-Dale opened the 14-13 lead in the second. The Andies were held to just one point and the Bulldogs led 19-14 at the half. A 9-2 run opened the lead to 27-17 in the third, and the Bulldogs appeared to be in good shape before Livermore’s rally in the fourth.

“I told the kids that you have one bad quarter down here,” said Simpson who led LF to the tourney back in the late 1980s and was determined to lead the club back to the postseason again. “That was our bad quarter. We needed to get it back together and get it going. They really started picking it up.”

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