OLD TOWN – After both teams had two relatively easy wins to open the season, the Hermon and Old Town girls basketball teams had a chance to go at each other Friday night in what turned out to be their first close game of the year.

Thanks to Ashley Kelley, Erin Arnold and a team effort all over the floor, Hermon emerged with a 62-57 win in a physical, exciting, back-and-forth affair at MacKenzie Gym.

Kelley scored a game-high 24 points to go with 21 rebounds, and Arnold put in four key free throws in the final moments to help the Hawks move to 3-0.

“They wanted it. They played tough, and it was a good game,” Arnold said. “But we had to learn not to panic, and once we did that, we took care of the ball more and we didn’t let them faze us.”

Kelley, along with Hillary Keith and Katie Durgin, who each finished with 10 points, helped Hermon claw back from a nine-point deficit in the third quarter.

After Arnold put back an offensive rebound, Durgin scored off a pass from Keith to cut it to five points. Durgin later nailed a 3-pointer, followed by two Kelley free throws and a Kelley putback as Old Town held just a 46-43 lead at the end of the third.

Keith scored a transition basket to get within one point in the fourth, then Kelley scored off a steal as Hermon went up 47-46.

“In our press we got beat up the middle quite a few times, and we didn’t adjust well to that,” Old Town coach Alan Brownewell said. “That hurt us.”

The Coyotes eventually tied it at 50-50, but Durgin scored off a feed from Kelley with 3:41 left, which put Hermon up for good. Arnold helped seal it with four free throws in the final 1:04.

“In the beginning, I think we came in just expecting an ordinary game. Then we realized we had to step it up. Our defense got a lot better, and once we started passing the ball more, our offense kicked in.”

The Hawks went 9-for-12 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and Kelley was 8-for-8 in the game.

Hermon coach Margie Deabay was impressed with the Hawks’ poise.

“Compared to last year, they’ve matured so much, being able to hang in down the stretch,” she said. “And they worked as a team. I was pleased with that.”

Kelley fought through a tough 2-3 zone in the first quarter for 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting. It was rougher going in the second and third, however.

“They were focusing more on doubling me in the second and third quarters,” Kelley said. “I had to dish it over to the open people. I was able to work around them [in the fourth].”

Ashley Goodwin paced the Coyotes (2-1) with 16 points. Cally Randall added 13 points, but Old Town got just six from standout Jenna King thanks in part to Keith’s defense on the senior guard.

“They played pretty good defense on her,” Brownewell said. “We had a hard time getting her open. Once she got open, her shot was off. That happens. She contributes in other ways.”

Kelley was too much for Old Town on the boards, especially on the offensive end. She pulled down nine offensive rebounds, three fewer than the entire Coyote team combined. The Hawks had a 44-32 rebounding edge.

Jessica Bloch may be reached at jbloch@bangordailynews.net or 990-8193.

HAWKS 62, COYOTES 57

Hermon (3-0) Old Town (2-1)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Veilleux 2 4 0 1 4 St. Louis 2 5

Woodard 0 4 0 0 0 Guay 1 4 3

Berglund 2 5 0 0 4 Randall 5 8 13

Durgin 4 11 0 0 10 Wilcox 2 10 7

Keith 4 6 2 3 10 Goodwin 4 6 10 16

Kelley 8 20 8 8 24 Brown 0 1 0

Beers 0 0 0 0 0 King 2 12 6

Arnold 3 9 4 6 10 Taylor 3 9 7

Totals 23 59 14 18 62 Totals 19 52 16 21 57

Hermon 17 28 43 62

Old Town 12 31 46 57

3-pt. goals – Hermon (2-3): Durgin 2-3; Old Town (3-11): Wilcox 1-2, Goodwin 1-2, St. Louis 1-1, Taylor 0-2, King 0-4

JV: Hermon 45-31

Attendance: 200 (est.)