LEWISTON — LA Maples owner Joshua Brister is happy his team finally took the Lewiston Armory floor.

After the Maples’ first two games were canceled last month, the Lewiston-Auburn semipro women’s basketball team welcomed the Mount Vernon Shamrocks on Saturday.

Mount Vernon, who had already played four games this season, came away with a 72-47 victory in a Women’s American Basketball Association contest.

LA is now 2-1 this season — the two canceled contests count as victories because the New England Trailblazers and New York Harlem Lady Underdogs forfeited.

“They ran some plays against us that we couldn’t defend, especially our first time seeing live action,” Brister said. “We really played well in the first half and chipped away and made it a tight game.”

Brister was the team’s acting head coach because Jim Seavey had a previous commitment. Seavy will be coaching in Sunday’s rematch with Mount Vernon at 2 p.m. at the Armory.

The Shamrocks (5-0), who led 35-30 at halftime, pulled away in the third quarter, outscoring LA 25-14 in the period. Nadia Duncan led the charge, scoring 11 of her team-high 19 points in the third.

Duncan said she wanted to do whatever it took to help the Shamrocks earn the victory.

Mount Vernon coach Edwin “Munch” Llopiz said Duncan is a catalyst for the Shamrocks.

“She’s one of our leaders, playing ball a long time, she came from overseas three years ago,” Llopiz said.

The third quarter started with a quick two-point bucket by Mount Vernon, and Chimonique Watts had a four-point play, extending the lead to 41-30.

Jenna Berens, a former Bates College player, tried to kickstart the Maples offense, recording all six of her points in the third, but closest LA got the remainder of the quarter was within six points.

“Defensively, we were scrambling to get them out of their game,” Llopiz said. “We threw a couple of traps that helped us.”

Mount Vernon took a 60-44 advantage going to the fourth quarter. Fatigue set in for both teams during the final 10 minutes.

The Shamrocks jumped out to an early 5-1 lead and, midway through the first quarter, were up 7-3. LA got going thanks to a pair of former Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School players, Maighread Laliberte, who had five points in the opening period, and Tianna Sugars, who had four.

Laliberte led the Maples in the game with 14 points.

Duncan had seven points for Mount Vernon in the first, while Monique Carter and Kayla Cleare contributed four. The Shamrocks led 20-13.

Llopiz said grabbing an early lead was important.

“It was very big; we just came off the road three hours ago, all the way from Brooklyn — it was a long ride,” Llopiz said. “I told them they had to fight the beginning.”

LA started chipping away at the deficit in the second quarter. The Shamrocks opened a 30-20 lead, but the Maples outscored them 10-5 to end the half. Rhianan Jackson and Jenessa Talarico, who played at Lewiston High School and UMaine-Farmington, each tallied five points in the second.

“Hats off to the ladies — without having a game under their belt — the ladies set up a great tempo, got some buckets to fall, but defensively they outpaced us,” Brister said.

Brister said the players know what needs to improve if they are to earn a weekend split.

“Aggressiveness,” Brister said. “Even the ladies, in the locker room after the game, said, ‘We need to be more aggressive tomorrow.’ That’s really it, be more aggressive, that turns into better shots, better defensive tempo.”

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