SOUTH PORTLAND – McAuley’s defense prevailed Thursday night, but it didn’t get a chance to rest until the end of a 43-39 victory over South Portland in an SMAA girls’ basketball game.

The Lions broke a 37-37 tie less than two minutes into the fourth quarter on baskets by Hannah Cooke and Alexa Coulombe. After Danielle DiBiase cut the Lions’ lead to 41-39, the shots stopped falling for both teams.

Defense — blocking shots, making stops, cutting down lanes and picking up loose rebounds — became vital for McAuley in preserving a two-point lead late in the game.

“The game was so close that our shots weren’t falling on offense and our only way, really, was to key in on defense and make sure they didn’t score, so that when our shots did fall, they wouldn’t be close behind,” said Allie Clement, who led McAuley with 17 points.

“There was a lot of pressure and it was really hectic, but good teams always find a way. We just tried to do our best to play together, stay calm and handle the pressure as best we could.”

Clement’s two free throws with 1.5 seconds left ended a stretch of nearly 31/2 minutes in which neither team hit a shot, securing the win for McAuley.

“We talk all the time about how defense is going to win,” McAuley Coach Amy Vachon said. “Our defense has been pretty good this year. We’ve had spurts where we’ve struggled but we’ve really had to buckle down, especially in the fourth quarter, and we did.”

Red Riots Coach Mike Giordano summed up the intensity of the game.

“That felt like tournament basketball,” Giordano said. “We were toe to toe with a team that everybody’s saying is the best.”

After taking a 12-9 lead into the second quarter, the Lions (8-0) extended their advantage to 28-18 with 2:30 left in the half, but the Red Riots (5-4) closed the second period on a 9-1 run and took advantage of the free-throw shooting.

There were 10 fouls called against each team in the half. South Portland went 15 for 18 on free throws in the first half, including two each by Abby Hasson (nine points) and DiBiase (13 points) in the final 14.3 seconds to cut McAuley’s lead to 29-27.

“(Free throws) kept us in the game in the first half, but we missed a few late and it made the difference,” said Giordano, whose team finished 16 for 26 from the line. “Free-throw shooting in one or two games can determine the game, so you’ve got to make them.”

The Red Riots stayed within two points of the Lions early in the third quarter before taking a 36-35 lead, their only lead of the game, on Danica Gleason’s 3-pointer with 2:49 left in the period.

Rebecca Knight (nine points) and Sadie DiPierro each hit a free throw to give McAuley a 37-36 lead, but Hasson’s free throw tied the game going into the fourth.

“They kept playing hard and they kept battling,” said Clement, whose team outscored South Portland 6-2 in the fourth. “They wanted this just as much as we did.

“In the second half, our defense played better and our offense was going to come, and shots weren’t falling as much as they should have been. But in the end we pulled through.”

Staff Writer Rachel Lenzi can be contacted at 791-6415 or at:

rlenzi@pressherald.com