SWAMPSCOTT — The shots just weren’t falling for the Swampscott girls basketball team Friday night, as the Big Blue fell to Northeastern Conference foe Danvers, 51-38, at Swampscott High. Everytime the Big Blue got a rally going, Danvers hit a big shot or made a big play to take back the momentum.
“We struggled at times getting back on defense and we had issues with turnovers most of the game,” said Swampscott coach Katelyn Leonard. “Danvers played a great game, and we just turned things on a little too late.”
Niya Morgen led the way for Swampscott with 16 points and four rebounds, while Maddie Hudson had 10 points and four rebounds. Brooke Matela had eight points and four rebounds, while Ella Sprague led the team with five rebounds.
It was a defensive standoff to open the game, with the two teams struggling to a 5-5 tie through the first five minutes. But Danvers caught fire from that point, going on a 10-0 run to end the quarter with a 15-5 lead.
Danvers stretched that lead to as many as 12 points early in the second quarter, but then Swampscott made its move. The Big Blue — behind a 14-point first half from Morgen — went on a 13-4 run to get right back in the game and cut the deficit to just three, 26-23.
The Falcons answered right back, finishing the first half with a 7-0 flurry to go into the break with a 30-23 lead.
“We just started attacking a little bit more,” Leonard said of what sparked the second-quarter run. “We were playing a little complacent, so we started penetrating their zone and it led to some open looks for us.”
The Big Blue showed a bit more life early in the second half, but it was short-lived. Swampscott pulled to within four points in the opening minutes of the third quarter, but, by the end of the quarter, Danvers had stretched the lead back to 11 points. Swampscott could never quite get the momentum back from that point on, as the Falcons effectively kept the Big Blue at arm’s length for the remainder of the game.
“Turnovers really killed us in the second half,” said Leonard. “(Danvers) put a box around Niya and we really had trouble scoring for most of the half, and then when you add turnovers to that it’s tough to come back from. It’s tough to make a comeback when the shots aren’t falling.”
Swampscott (4-11) is back in action Tuesday night (7) on the road at Beverly.
“We’re learning from every game,” said Leonard. “If we can find some offense and make some shots, it’s a whole different game. That all starts on the defensive end by getting stops and moving the ball in transition. We’re just going to keep working on those things.”