Bishop Guertin's Thalia Drapeau tries to get a shot off while nearly smothered by Concord Christian's Kate Smith during Tuesday night's game at the Colligadome. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – It’s called learning how to win, something the young Bishop Guertin High School girls basketball team is finding out the hard way.

That’s the lesson the Cards likely took from Tuesday night’s 57-51 overtime loss at the hands of emerging Division II power Concord Christian.

The Cards were soaring, up 33-20 near the midway point of the third quarter before things changed. Still, they had a 46-44 lead with 23.9 seconds left, but couldn’t close it out.

“I definitely think that comes with experience,” Guertin coach Olivia Orlando said. “I thought our body language at the end could have been better. I said to the girls during one of our last huddles, ‘We have to play to win, not play not to lose, right?’

“We’re super young, and that just comes with experience, in learning to win and learning to beat very talented teams like Concord Christian.”

The Cardinals, who led 10-7 after one and 21-18 at the half, started the second half on a 10-0 run, but suddenly they got tentative toward the end of the third quarter as the lead was down to 37-33.

Still, they held the lead until the overtime, when the Kingsmen, who came in at 5-0 having won by an average of 35.8 points, took control. Lily Carlile had a traditional three-point play right off the bat and they led for good, 49-46. Inside of a minute left it was 55-48, Emma Smith killing the Cards from the line, going 6 for 6 in OT. Smith led the visitors with 20 points, while her sister, Kate Smith had 13 along with Carlile, and Kayden Rioux had 11. The Smiths and Carlile are from Hudson, and Taylor and Kayden Rioux are from Nashua.

“Once we started pushing the ball up the floor, working the ball on offense and also pressuring the ball defensively, we made our comeback,” Concord Christian coach Rebecca Carlile said. “We feel like we can win a one-on-one with a lot of different matchups with this team.”

But earlier it looked like the Cards (1-4) would run away and hide.

“We had a little bit of a jittery start,” Carlile said. “The girls were pumped playing a Division I traditionally good school. We knew they’d give us a run for a money and BG did a good job getting us out of our game.”

“It totally stemmed from our defense,” Orlando said. “Our defensive energy puts a lot of pressure on teams. If we’re picking up full, you have to work twice as hard, and when you’re picking up your half-court offense, you’re exhausted and that makes it challenging.”

But the Kingsmen recovered in time. Will Guertin as it goes forward?

“I have to give them a lot of credit, they are a resilient bunch,” Orlando said. “When they come in the next day, they’re ready to rock, ready to get better.”

Thalia Drapeau led BG with 17, but she was scoreless in the fourth quarter and had just a 3-pointer in OT. Maddi Long added 12.

The killer was the fact coming out of a time out with just over 20 seconds left in regulation, the Cards had the lead but then turned it over.

“It’s the growing pains of becoming a very talented group,” Orlando said. “Just very young plays. A lot of good things that I’m very proud of, but a lot of things to grow from, too.”

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