Hollis Brookline's Ana O'Donnell is surrounded by Spartans Ava Strazzeri, left, Bailey Gatchell (3) and Tessa Love (12) during Thursday night's Division II clash in Hollis. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

HOLLIS – Sometimes you know it’s not your night. And you realize it right at the beginning.

That was the case for the Hollis High School girls basketball team on Thursday night. The Cavs had been playing thrilling basketball, a comeback win to start the season over Oyster River, a well-played loss in overtime to Pelham.

But last night at home the Cavaliers were flat as a pancake in a 60-29 loss to Pembroke. They fell behind 20-7 at the start and never got back in it to fall to 1-2.

“We started off slow, just slow,” Cavs coach Heidi Moore said. “I think we got in our own heads and just panicked. … From the beginning I could just see it in their faces, we were in panic mode.”

It was 33-10 at halftime and 54-20 heading into the final quarter. Ouch.

“Defensively we weren’t ready,” Moore said. “But we went went to a 3-2, we hadn’t practiced a 3-2, and held them in the second half, so that was better. But we weren’t ready….They (the Spartans) came out tonight, they were ready. We weren’t. That’s OK.”

Pembroke lost close to Derryfield but thumped Hanover with a big athletic team. Kaitlin Arenella had 20 points to lead the winners, who also got 18 from Kate Stevens.

The Cavs couldn’t get their offense untracked, either, as Anika Carlson led them with just nine points while Samantha Disco was next with five.

“What hurt us tonight was missed layups and missed foul shots,” Moore said. “We missed I don’t know how many layups. Back to the drawing board.

“But it’s OK. We have a young team and I know that. It’s growing pains. We’ll be back.”