TURNER – Leavitt Area High School is easily the most improved girls’ basketball team in the Class A division of the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference. Winless or not, based on the naked-eye test, Lewiston High School is a not-too-distant second.

The result of their meeting at the crossroads Friday night was another building block for both houses. Learning on the fly, Leavitt lived through foul trouble and spotty shooting to snag its third consecutive victory, 52-42, over the obstinate Blue Devils.

“We’ve had a lot of firsts. (This season is) the first time we’ve ever beaten Cony, the first time we’ve had five wins in Class A, the first time we’ve won three in a row,” said Leavitt coach Tammy Anderson.

Flaunting five freshmen and three sophomores among its 10 healthy players – and there is no junior varsity team – Leavitt is making daily leaps and bounds with a group that has been whispered about since grade school.

Ninth-grader Adrie Newton invigorated the Hornets (5-3) with 15 points, 13 rebounds, eight steals and four assists. Newton notched one point and three fouls in the first half before posting up to her heart’s content without hearing a whistle in the home stretch.

Courtney Anderson, a sophomore and the coach’s daughter, matched Newton with 15 points. She hauled down six rebounds and made five steals.

On the heels of a lockdown defensive effort three nights earlier at Mt. Ararat, the Hornets forced 39 turnovers against the Devils.

“When you make 21 turnovers in a half, it’s energy that’s inefficient,” said Lewiston coach Mike McGraw, whose Blue Devils dipped to 0-8. “We missed some important layups in the second half. We’re almost there. If we could just change those two things, be able to score in a timely fashion and not turn the ball over … We’re working our tails off.”

Lewiston recovered from deficits of 9-0 and 14-2 in the first quarter to keep the Hornets at manageable, single-digit arm’s length most of the way.

Ashlee Labonte’s 3-pointer from the right corner trimmed Leavitt’s lead to six, 48-42, with 2:01 remaining. Labonte then swatted a shot into the hands of teammate Jamie Swart and gave the Devils a chance to cut deeper.

Abbey Randall answered with her seventh theft of the night for the Hornets, however, and Lewiston never threatened again. Anderson and Randall combined for four free throws in the final 1:04.

Leavitt rode out the final four minutes without its lone senior starter, six-foot forward Hannah Whitaker, after she fouled out with seven points and eight boards. Whitaker joined Newton with three personals prior to the break.

“We’re just young. We just never know what we’re going to get,” Tammy Anderson said. “They’re a special group as far as team goes. They’re used to winning as young kids.”

Swart sparked Lewiston with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Carley Denis and Kim Archibald each added seven points, with Archibald collecting 15 caroms. Shelby Turcotte spearheaded Lewiston’s spirited rally from the sputtering first quarter with a dozen steals.

“I’m happy with the effort. It’s the efficiency. We came out very flat,” McGraw said. “Maybe it’s just the long trip from Lewiston to Turner. Maybe we ought to go to Skowhegan first and then come back down. Once the ball goes up, it’s basketball. We need to raise the bar.”

Leavitt will return to Class B next season, presumably contending for regional and state titles in 2010 and 2011.

“The kids keep thriving on wanting to make a difference, and they’re off to a good start,” Coach Anderson said. “This is their last chance to do something in Class A. They’ve really been fighting.”