AUBURN — It was the last shot of the opening half, but it reverberated for another couple of quarters.

When Carolyn Joseph hit a 3-pointer at the intermission buzzer, it had made for a seismic shift in Tuesday’s girls’ basketball game. St. Dom’s was energized by the momentum while Winthrop was deflated. It showed in a convincing third quarter for the Saints as St. Dom’s broke the game open for a 46-24 win over the Ramblers.

“We were just trying to set the tone for the second half and get a good shot,” said Joseph, a senior guard.

That shot turned a four-point lead into a 22-15 advantage at the half. It had an even bigger impact in the mindset of both teams. The Saints rode that momentum and opened the third quarter with a 9-2 run. The Ramblers were held to just six points in the third and three in the fourth.

“It was a big shot,” said Winthrop coach Ray Convery. “Give St. Dom’s credit. Allaina Murphy had just five points in the first half. The other kids stepped up and made shots. They made shots and we didn’t”

Both the Saints and Ramblers are battling for final playoff spots in Western C. St. Dom’s (9-6) is clinging to the seventh spot with not a lot of point-worthy games remaining. Winthrop (6-9) is in 10th and trying to hold on to that final berth with Boothbay close behind. Georges Valley and Old Orchard Beach are in the mix as well.

“We’ve got to keep winning to get a home prelim,” said St. Dom’s coach Paul Rheaume, whose team beat Winthrop 37-31 earlier in the season and could potentially draw the Ramblers again in a prelim showdown. “It was a big win for us the other night against Boothbay. They’re a vastly improved team, and they beat Georges Valley (Monday).”

Murphy finished with 20 points, but the Saints got eight from Mary Caron and six from Joseph. Five other Saints chipped in points as well. Winthrop got nine each from Nikki Scott and Kelsey Nason. Sarah Warner was the only other Rambler to score with six.

“We’re starting to get more balanced scoring,” said Rheaume. “We’re rotating more people in and out because we have to get ready for the playoffs, and we can’t be tired.”

Winthrop was down by eight early in the second but cut the lead to two just before halftime. Jumpers by Scott and Warner made it 17-15 with 1:28 left. Murphy sank a pair of free throws in the final minute, and the Saints had one last chance for a shot. St. Dom’s milked the clock down to the final seconds. The Saints nearly didn’t get a shot away, but Joseph got the ball and fired it up.

“We were just trying to get a good last shot,” said Joseph. “I was the one that ended up with the ball. It was down to the wire. I wasn’t sure who was going to shoot it. I had it. So I figured I had to.”

When the Saints returned to the court in the second half, they rode the momentum of that buzzer-beater. After the two teams traded  baskets, St. Dom’s ran off seven straight. The Saints hit four of their first six shots in the quarter.

“The kids played well and had a big third quarter and put the game away,” said Rheaume.

Winthrop managed just 3-for-15 shooting in the third and then went 0-for-10 in the fourth. St. Dom’s zone frustrated the Ramblers most of the night. Between size inside and height on the perimeter, the Saints were able to defend the post and any passes inside, forcing Winthrop to hit the outside shot.

“We just didn’t shoot the ball well,” said Convery. “Their size gave us trouble. We had people shoot the ball that we wanted to. Give them credit, they made the shots, and we didn’t.”

kmills@sunjournal.com

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