BANGOR – Both the Bangor and Hampden girls basketball teams started a host of new faces in Friday night’s Class A season-opening game at Red Barry Gym. And both groups of youngsters passed a huge test in the Big East Conference matchup.

But the Rams rallied in the fourth quarter – thanks in part to those inexperienced players – made some clutch free throws and earned a 54-52 victory over the Broncos.

Junior Laura Clarke had to watch Bangor’s comeback from the bench. Clarke, one of two returning Bangor starters, was in foul trouble.

But two sophomores on the floor made a big difference. Karen Porter went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the first minute of the fourth quarter and made what turned out to be the go-ahead shot, while Weymouth hit two free throws, a key third-quarter jumper, and provided rebounding.

“I think we came out in the fourth quarter really strong, really pumped,” said Weymouth, who had nine points. “We had the lead and we just wanted to keep it.”

Clarke led the Rams with 13 points and Porter added 10.

It seemed as if Bangor had closed out the game, but the Broncos made some big baskets to get to within two points. Kim Stephenson made a jump shot with 42 seconds left, while Jillian Beal and Erin Campbell each put back the rebound of a missed free throw with less than 20 seconds remaining.

“We played hard down six or eight [points] and we didn’t give up,” first-year Hampden coach Ben Greenlaw said. “We got into a little bit of foul trouble with our post players … and [Bangor] really controlled the rebounding. We didn’t get many second shots and they got a whole bunch.”

The Rams played a 1-1-3 zone to guard against the Broncos’ height advantage. Emmy Russell, Hampden’s standout 5-9 forward, led the Broncos with 12 points and nine rebounds, but got into foul trouble early.

“That was one of our keys,” Clarke said.

Bangor made nine of 12 free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter until the final minute of the game, during which the Rams missed all but one of their eight shots.

Sophomores Alyssa Ogden and Marion Bradford, juniors Rachel McAllian and Marissa McLeod and senior Megan McCrum all played key fourth-quarter minutes.

“I was just really pleased with how the young kids played,” Bangor coach Tom Tennett said. “You never know how young kids are going to respond. And I think we got some real leadership some of from our older kids.”

The Broncos were up by as much as eight points in the second half, but the Rams kept chipping away. Weymouth’s jumper with 44 seconds remaining in the third quarter cut Hampden’s lead to 39-38.

The Broncos were 13-for-16 from the free-throw line in the first half but 6-for-18 in the second.

RAMS 54, BRONCOS 52

Hampden girls (0-1) Bangor (1-0)

Player G AG F AF TP Player G AG AF TP

Webb 1 4 1 2 4 Ogden 2 3 1 5

Stephenson 3 8 5 7 11 Porter 3 8 10

Morris 0 0 0 0 0 Clarke 4 9 13

Peters 0 0 0 0 0 McLeod 0 8 2

Littlefield 0 0 0 0 0 McAllian 1 5

Campbell 4 8 1 2 9 McCrum 1 4 4

Workman 3 8 0 0 6 Russell 0 2 0

Russell 2 6 8 14 12 Hayden 2 4 5

Beal 1 2 1 5 3 Weymouth 2 7 10 9

McBee 0 0 1 2 1 Bradford 0 1

Ireland 2 4 2 4 6 Sullivan 0 0

Totals 16 40 19 36 52 Totals 15 49 23 38 54

Hampden 16 30 39 52

Bangor 12 25 38 54

3-pt. goals: Hampden (1-3): Webb 1-1, Stephenson 0-1, Workman 0-1; Bangor (1-4): McAllian 1-2, Porter 0-1, Weymouth 0-1

Attendance: 200 (est.)

Preliminary: Bangor JVs 63-52