BUCKLAND — It was a dominant first half performance on the defensive end of the court for the Mohawk Trail girls basketball team against Athol on Thursday. 

The Bears scored the opening basket of the game after Anna Duquette drained a 3-pointer but it was all Warriors from there, as Athol was unable to convert another field goal for the remainder of the half. 

Mohawk Trail closed the first quarter on a 9-1 run to take a 9-4 lead after one and opened the second quarter on a 12-0 run to eventually take a 23-5 lead at the break.

The Warriors kept it up in the second half to pull away with a 45-14 Franklin County League South victory. 

The win snapped a five-game losing skid for Mohawk Trail (4-11). 

“The girls have been working hard all year,” Warriors coach Steve Bzomowski said. “To get a win like this is validation for the hard work they’ve put in.” 

The loss dropped Athol  to 1-14, though coach Conor Morrissey said he’s proud of the way his young team has battled despite not getting the results they’ve hoped for. 

“We’re just focused on getting better every day,” Morrissey said. “I’m proud of these girls for staying together and fighting every time we’re out there.” 

After Duquette’s 3, Natalie Lanoue answered with a trey for Mohawk Trail. Valerie Bzomowski got inside for two, Kaylin Sumner scored down low before Bzomowski ended the frame with a basket to give the Warriors their 9-2 lead after one. 

Lanoue swished her second 3, Rachel Pease scored off a fast break before knowing down a 3 of her own, Lanoue scored inside and Bella Pettengill made a shot on the baseline, giving Mohawk Trail a 21-4 lead. 

Duquette made a free throw with one minute to go in the half, Athol’s first points of the quarter, but Lanoue closed things out with a score that gave the Warriors a 23-5 lead at the intermission. 

“They work hard on defense and all over the court in every single game,” Steve Bzomowski said. “We’re very young. We’re playing eighth graders and ninth graders. Every game we see a couple things that are better than the game before.” 

Mohawk Trail kept its foot on the gas in the third quarter. Lanoue knocked down a 3 and added a jumper for two, Abi Dobias drained a 3 and made a pair from the charity stripe, Pease scored on the break while Bzomowski tallied a pair of free throws, giving the Warriors a 37-13 edge going into the fourth. 

While Olivia Horrigan and Brooklyn Hopkins each made a pair from the free throw line, Athol didn’t record a field goal until there was two minutes left in the third, when Jenna Bonenfant scored in the paint. Ava Martin added a basket before the quarter ended for the Bears. 

Lanoue finished with a game-high 15 points for Mohawk Trail. Bzomowski scored 10 points, Pease recorded seven points while Dobias had five points in the win. 

Bonenfant tallied four points while Horrigan finished with three points for Athol.