BELCHERTOWN — A Friday the 13th showdown between Belchertown and Frontier girls basketball squads made both teams unlucky offensively in the first half. Frontier managed to get hot behind the three point line in the second, propelling them to a 35-26 victory. 

It was especially satisfying for the Redhawks, who came into Friday’s contest riding a three-game losing streak and needing a change of pace. 

“Those past three games were really tough for us. We worked really hard. We had the mindset coming into this game and the past couple of practices that we need to climb that ladder and step up,” Frontier’s Kylie Laford said. “I think tonight we really proved that and showed the hard work we’ve been putting in.” 

The first half was a low-scoring affair on both sides. The two teams traded baskets but struggled to hit shots. Belchertown finished the quarter on a 3-0 run to take a 7-4 lead after the first frame. 

It was much the same in the second - the Orioles outscored Frontier 5-3 to take a 12-7 head heading into halftime. 

The shots started falling in the last few minutes of the third. Frontier’s Claire Kirkendall and Kylie Laford hit back to back threes to tie and then take their first lead since the first period. Belchertown’s Chloe LaRoche wasn’t going to give it up easy; the sophomore scored nine points, five of those from the free throw line, in the last few minutes of the third to give Belchertown a 23-19 lead heading into the fourth. 

The triples kept falling for the Redhawks - Laford and Kirkendall hit another pair of back-to-back threes to take a 25-23 lead and force a Belchertown timeout with 7:03 remaining. Laford hit another three to give Frontier a 28-23 lead with just under six minutes left. 

“I was a little slow at first, but definitely when I hit that first one, I knew that I was going to start warming up,” Laford said. “It's a good feeling to put your team in the lead or get more points on the board.”

The teams traded free throws and Frontier’s Madison McKemmie sank a jumper to make it 31-24 with 1:35 left to play. The deficit was too much for Belchertown to overcome. 

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