AUBURN – All of a sudden their comfortable lead didn’t feel so comfortable.

After a strong second quarter built a seemingly commanding double-digit advantage for the Gray-New Gloucester girls’ basketball team Thursday, the Patriots watched St. Dom’s storm back in the second half.

“That was really scary,” said junior center Kassie Wilson. “I knew we were under a lot of pressure, and we just had to get through it. I didn’t like that at all. Normally, we’ve been the one’s coming back sometimes, especially in the past two games.”

The Saints got as close as one point numerous times in the fourth quarter, but the Patriots managed to hold on for the 57-55 victory.

“That has been our third close one, and we were able to get away with it,” said G-NG coach Chris Aube. “I don’t think we played particularly well, but they had a lot to do with that.”

Wilson led G-NG (3-2) with 12 points, including eight in the fourth quarter.

“She’s come along,” said Aube. “She didn’t play a whole lot of varsity last year. She’s really earned herself a starting position. I think she rebounded well, and we recognized her when they were trapping.”

Rachel Clement and Laura Getchell each added eight. Clement had all her points in the second quarter as the Patriots scored 10 straight and built a 14-point lead.

St. Dom’s (0-3) got a career-high 32 from Allaina Murphy. She had 22 of the Saints 33 points in the second half.

“I was worried about their height,” said St. Dom’s coach Paul Rheaume. “They have some big girls, but they still couldn’t contain her, which worked out really well for us.”

Murphy started the rally in the second half, scoring five points during a 7-0 run to start the third quarter. She added six more during a 6-2 stretch that finished the third and got the Saints within 43-37.

The Saints hit six of their first 10 shots in the quarter while the Patriots missed their first six and finished 3-for-17.

In the fourth, the Saints kept coming. Five straight points from Murphy got St. Dom’s within 43-32. After a Wilson rebound, Murphy scored on a fast break, and Kelsey Murphy put the Saints ahead 46-43 with 5:40 left.

“I give them a lot of credit,” said Aube. “They executed well in the second half. Their 3-2 (zone) gave us some problems. We’ve been struggling to knock down shots.”

G-NG got the lead right back when Terri-Lynn Sanborn fed Mason for a basket. Then Clement got a rebound and set up Laura Getchell for a three-point lead with 5:25 left.

The Patriots went to a zone to combat Murphy’s play inside. The Saints got within one three more times on baskets by Murphy and a rebound by Kelsey Murphy. A short jumper by Allaina Murphy made it 53-52 with 1:16 left. After a Patriot turnover, the Saints had the chance to tie it but missed the free throw. Wilson got the rebound and padded the lead on the other end. She grabbed a rebound of a Clement shot and put it back in for a 55-52 lead with 23 seconds left.

“I was like, finally, we can win this,” said Wilson. “We just needed to keep going. That was really big. That was two points we needed.”

Getchell hit two free throws with 14 seconds left to make it a five-point game, but after a Patriot turnover, Mary Lewis hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left. G-NG was able to inbounds the ball and run out the clock.

“That was a big confidence booster for the kids, knowing that they can comeback on a team like that,” said Rheaume.