PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- The Taconic girls basketball team used two quick baskets in the final 25.9 seconds of the game to walk away with a 47-44 victory over Mount Greylock on Saturday afternoon.

 

Mount Greylock was missing two starters: Jenna Benzinger, who was absent due to illness, and Lucy Barrett, who did play but also is suffering an illness.

 

“I think we dodged a bullet, I mean Lucy is sick and Jenna is too,” Taconic coach Matt Mickle said. “That’s a big problem for them right off the bat, for us we’re going to take whatever we can get.”

 

Taconic got off to a quick start, taking a 5-0 lead within the first four minutes of the game, but Greylock turned things around when junior Arianna Walden scored three shots in a row and a foul shot. This brought the lead within two at the end of the first (13-11).

 

Greylock was able to take the lead in the second with a few baskets from underneath and Walden with a 3 right before half to put the score at 23-19.

 

“The girls got off to a quick start, but let them back into it,” Mickle said.

 

The second half was a back and forth battle throughout. Taconic started the half down, but within the last three minutes of the third quarter, it took it back a 25-23 advantage. The Mounties were able to convert some baskets on their offensive plays and end the quarter ahead, 32-29.

 

Greylock gave Taconic a lot of second offensive opportunities in the final eight minutes of the game, which hurt them in the end. Greylock put on a press in the final two minutes, which brought them within two points of stealing away the lead yet again, but defensively their rebounding wasn’t there, and Taconic was able to take advantage of those second chances.

 

“My real disappointment is how much we gave up on the offensive boards,” Greylock coach Paul Barrett said. “I don’t know how many offensive rebounds they had, but it had to have been a whole lot of double digits. We gave them extra possessions and extra opportunities.”

 

Taconic’s Brianna Rogers finished with a team high 16 points and Jasmine Rodriguez finished with nine.

 

“Bri Rogers was great,” Mickle said. “We actually had a size advantage inside all day and she used it.”

 

“The kids just played well to seal the victory; which for a young team, you have to kind of learn how to win these types of games.”

 

Mount Greylock’s Walden had a game high of 19 points and Lucy Barrett had 9.

 

Taconic will host Ludlow on Tuesday, while Mount Greylock will be traveling to Shrewbury.