CHESHIRE, Mass. -- Mount Anthony sophomore Grace Mahar scored 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds Saturday to lead the Patriots to a 48-33 win over Lee in the first game of the Coaches Vs. Cancer Showcase at Hoosac Valley High School.

 

The Patriots played stifling defense early to take a 9-3 lead after one quarter, but Lee battled back to tie it on a basket by Lena Simone off a turnover to make it 11-11 midway through the second.

 

From there, Mount Anthony went on a 14-3 run to re-establish a double-digit margin it never relinquished.

 

The Wildcats (1-9) battled foul trouble throughout the game.

 

Brianna Hawley ended up fouling out of the game with eight points and four rebounds with about three minutes left to play. Shannon Finnegan (seven points) picked up her third foul midway through the second quarter and finished with four, as did starter Carly McElroy, one of five freshmen in Lee's lineup.

 

"It's not even so much the foul trouble," Lee coach Rick Puleri said. "We're such a young team. We made so many mental mistakes. We got right back into it and cut their first lead back down to a one-possession game.

 

"A couple of mental breakdowns, and they got it back up to double figures."

 

Lee was able to make a game of it by using its press to force Mount Anthony into some second quarter turnovers.

 

"We've been working hard on that a lot, and it did seem to bother them," Puleri said. "We created a couple of turnovers there. But when we do get the live ball turnovers, you've got to finish.

 

"We weren't able to get quite enough baskets off of that. It was a good effort. Just the growing pains of having a young team, I guess."'

 

The Patriots were able to control the boards throughout the game, thanks to Mahar's 17 boards and eight from Kaity O'Brien.

 

Lee got 11 points and 10 rebounds from Lydia Simone. Finnegan had four assists.

 

Lee goes to Monument Mountain on Tuesday.