FARMINGTON – The Mt. Blue girls’ basketball team saved its best effort for last Monday afternoon, but so did the Brewer Witches.

The Cougars rallied from as many as 10 points down in the second half and took a lead late in the fourth quarter, but Brewer managed to finish stronger in a 47-41 victory.

Both teams are chasing the final tournament berths in Eastern A, and with Brewer ahead of the Cougars, Monday was an opportunity to make some ground. The Witches were 11th in the latest Heal Points standings, while the Cougars were one spot behind them.

“We’re still looking for the last preliminary spot,” said Mt. Blue coach Tim Kane. “We can still do it, but they were ahead of us for the last playoff spot.”

Mt. Blue (3-10) picked up its intensity in the second half and found some consistency on offense to rally in the fourth. A basket by Amelia Allen even had the Cougars up 37-35 with 3:52 remaining.

Brewer (4-8) answered with seven straight points and outscored Mt. Blue 12-4 the rest of the way.

“We needed a win whether it was a pretty one or an ugly one,” said Brewer coach Andy Nickerson. “Our kids hung in there and won it.”

Allen led the Cougars with 17 points while Sabrina Keach added 10. Foul trouble and turnovers plagued the Cougars for much of the game, but the play of Keach and Allen inside helped Mt. Blue make its late run.

“We’re there,” said Kane. “Even in some of the bigger games, but we just have to find a way to get over that hump.”

Brewer managed to do that with a strong effort from Leah Jackson in the second half. She finished with 14 points, 12 coming in the second half. She had six in the final minutes of the fourth quarter during the Witches’ 12-4 finish.

“We lean on her,” said Nickerson. “We ask her to do an awful lot. We try to take advantage of her athleticism and she never stops working.”

After an early lead, Mt. Blue fell behind in the second quarter. The Cougars went over five minutes in the second and third quarters without a field goal. McLain, who had five late points in the first quarter to give Brewer a 16-13 lead, had five points late in the half to build a 27-19 advantage. Jackson scored off an inbounds play to start the third for a 29-19 lead.

The Cougars picked up the defensive effort and managed to claw their way back. Baskets by Allen, Keach and Michelle Oswald got Mt. Blue within four. Brewer managed to finish the quarter up 35-29, but the Cougars opened the fourth with eight straight points. Allen scored back-to-back hoops.

After Amanda Deschenes set up Keach for the tying basket, Deschenes fed Allen for the lead.

“We stepped it up a little bit, but we had a few unforced turnovers that hurt us down the stretch,” said Kane.

After a McLain missed a free throw, Jackson got the rebound and put Brewer ahead for good with 3:40 left.

She added a score of a Katie Kenney feed, and Sheri Valley hit a short jumper for the seven straight.

“They hurt us on the second and third efforts,” said Kane.

The Cougars got a drive from Allen with 2:05 left to cut the deficit to five, and a basket by Keach made it 44-41 with 1:03 left. But free throws by McLain and Valley padded the lead.

“The fact that our kids fought back through that, I’m proud of them,” said Nickerson. “Our kids made some plays at the end of the game.”