BEDFORD – It is out to defend a state title, and defend is exactly what the Bishop Guertin girls basketball team did on Friday night in a 51-43 victory at Bedford.
In what might very well be the biggest game of the regular season, the Cardinals struggled at times offensively, but played solid defense throughout to improve to 3-0.
It went down to the wire. A pair of free throws by Bedford’s Maggie McGown brought the Bulldogs within 38-36 with 3:05 left.
But the Cardinals got big plays down the stretch from junior point guard Jamie Sherburne (13 points) and a big steal by junior Gabriela Piercy to pull it out.
“It wasn’t the prettiest game,’’ Bishop Guertin coach Scott Hazelton said, “but it’s early and I liked our effort at the defensive end.
“I told the girls before the game that win or lose, we’re going to learn something about ourselves and them tonight.’’
After exploding for 91 points three nights earlier against Salem, the Cardinals started slowly in both halves at the offensive end against a Bedford team coming off a big victory on Tuesday night over Londonderry.
The Cardinals led 24-15 at halftime, but went the first five minutes of the second half without a point. But it turned into a missed opportunity for Bedford, which managed just four points over the same stretch.
“We had the momentum there for a while but couldn’t really capitalize on it,’’ Bedford coach Sue Thomas said. “We didn’t run through our offense very well and their swarming defense seemed to get in our heads.’’
Bishop Guertin, which led by as many as 11 in the first half, went up 31-23 on a buzzer beating 3-point by Madison Gibbs to end the third quarter, then went up 34-23 when a Nicole Hayner 3-pointer opened the fourth quarter scoring.
But a 12-4 Bedford run, including McGown’s two free throws made it a two-point game.![]()
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