EASTON -- After splitting the first two matchups, Oliver Ames and North Attleboro took their Hockomock League rivalry to another level in the Div. 2 second round Monday night.
With 15 lead changes and two ties over the second half, it was the No. 7 Tigers that came away with a thrilling 48-47 victory over No. 10 Red Rocketeers in front of a packed home gymnasium.
"You play anybody three times, it's really difficult," Oliver Ames coach Brian Costello said. "(North Attleboro) is a very talented team and very strong. Obviously, they had size on us, so we knew it was going to be a battle every game this season against them."
It was senior Brie Antebi off the bench that came away with a key steal with 14.2 seconds left to setup a crucial final possession for Oliver Ames (17-5).
After North Attleboro (14-8) knocked the ball away to leave just 2.6 ticks left, Costello drew up a play for the go-ahead basket.
"Obviously, we know Avery Gamble's the focus point and I did still think that she could get a clean look off that, but we also knew they're probably going to hedge on her or bump her that first time," Costello said. "So, we just had Brie slip down. That's one I've had for a really, really long time and I've used a lot and honestly the first time it worked."
Gamble (30 points), a senior captain, was covered, so Antebi came free in the paint and was able to put in the final shot to put the Tigers up for good at 48-47 as Big Red missed a near full court heave at the buzzer.
"It's the best feeling in the world," said Gamble about her fellow senior getting the go-ahead bucket. "I couldn't be happier about it. I love Brie. She's an amazing player and she just hustled so hard and the fact that she had the confidence to make that layup after maybe missing a few in the first, but that's the one that mattered the most."
In the third, the teams traded leads throughout before junior Emma Faria drilled a three-pointer to put North Attleboro up 38-36 after three.
In the fourth, no team led by more than three points as both teams were unable to put the other away.
In the first half, North Attleboro had a strong start and led as much as 13-2 in the first quarter and ended with a 15-5 advantage as freshman Sarah Casey scored five of her 13 in the first. She also grabbed 10 boards.
After that, Oliver Ames came alive and outscored Big Red, 17-6, with Gamble netting nine and senior captain Maeve Horsman scoring the bucket to make it 22-21 before the half.
"It felt great," Gamble said about getting back into the contest after a slow first quarter. "We were down by 10 to start the second quarter and then we started fighting back and that's the kind of adversity that we need. The perseverance not to give up."
Oliver Ames will faceoff against the winner of Wednesday's Whitman-Hanson/Fontbonne contest on a date/time to be determined.