AUBURN — Beating a zone defense like the one Sacopee Valley presented to St. Dom’s on Tuesday requires quick and efficient ball movement.

The Saints did just that early in the game, when every starter had at least one basket and an assist in the first quarter en route to a 42-37 Class C South girls basketball victory. 

“I thought the ball moved well, and we are trying to move the ball and get it to the right player,” St. Dom’s coach J.P. Yorkey said. “I thought we had some nice transition baskets and it was a good rebounding game for us, one of our better ones.”

Skye Rogers led the Saints’ charge early with six points in the first quarter, while Mia-Angelina Leslie scored three points and recorded two steals and four rebounds in the frame. 

St. Dom’s (13-4) was playing without Hannah Kenney, so its other starters needed to compensate in different ways. 

“We all knew we had to step it up a little bit and take on roles we hadn’t before,” Rogers said. “I was handling the ball and bringing it up the court a little more than usual. We all pitched in and made up for her not being able to play.”

Sacopee Valley played a 2-3 zone that was quick to the ball and held the usually sharp-shooting Becca Zimmerman to just one field goal in the first half, forcing other St. Dom’s players to make plays. 

“They were playing a zone the whole time, and we knew we had to spread it out a little more and work it in and out, in and out,” Rogers said. “We weren’t making all of our shots so we knew we had to get it inside more and we adjusted to that.”

In the second quarter, Rogers amassed three blocks, a steal and three rebounds, Bella Perryman scored four points and the Saints held a 25-22 lead at the half. 

Sacopee Valley (10-7) was buoyed by Emma Hartford, Kylie Day and Jalyn Stacey, who combined to score 17 of the team’s 22 first-half points.

The Saints increased their lead to 35-27 by the end of the third, as Zimmerman scored six points and Rogers pulled down four of her 10 total boards.

“That’s been one of our main goals in the locker room is getting rebounds,” Rogers said. “We’ve been doing that in practice every day, getting rebounds, and I think that as long as all five of us box out, then we are able to rebound and I thought we did that a lot better today.”

Rogers also scored nine points and finished with five blocks.

The productive third quarter gave the Saints a bit of a cushion, finally. 

“I thought we were going to get some separation there, and I thought our first quarter was pretty good,” Yorkey said. “I actually did feel comfortable and I thought we were going to stretch it out, we did at times, but they made some shots here and there. On the whole I was pleased. We didn’t shoot well, but overall I was pleased.”

The Hawks reeled in the Saints a bit in the final quarter with two quick buckets from Stacey, who finished with a team-high 11 points, and a mid-range jumper from Riley Vacchiano.

However, soon after Vacchiano hit that jumper, with 3:10 left, she fouled out, and Zimmerman clinched the game with two free throws to finish with a team-high 12 points. 

“I liked our defense overall,” Yorkey said. “I liked our rebounding and I liked us in transition. I thought we handled the press pretty well and overall, not bad.”

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