JOHNSTOWN – It was a game of two very different halves. The North Country Lady Saints brought an 8-5 record to the Raiders Den on Tuesday evening. The 10-2 Lady Raiders seemed ready for the challenge. FM won the contest 59-58, but it was an unusual win.

FM stalwart Monae Abrams scored the game's first field goal. Freshman Stephanie Rice added a trey from the center of the arc, Abrams scored again, Sherice Gayle tallied from the floor, and the Raiders led 9-0.

Photo:  Veronica Chea shooting

Rice sank another three, Erica Redwood netted a field goal, and the score was 14-2. FM was rolling and looking very good.

The game also had a fast pace. Neither team committed a foul in the first eight minutes.

Abrams scored again. Evanda Redwood hit from beyond the arc. Kendra Jordan scored on a nice steal-and-go. Abrams netted a hook shot. Rice hit another three – her fourth. Taylor Wetsky scored. The first half ended with FM ahead 38-18.

The Lady Raiders had played a terrific first half. Their performance in the second stanza, however, was well below that of the first 20 minutes.

North Country scored the first seven points of the second half, and the FM offense went cold. Two free throws brought the Saints within 11, at 40-29. FM's offense was sputtering. The Lady Raiders scored just four points in the first 10 minutes, while North Country tallied 16. FM's offense never regained its usual form.

Photo:  Monae Abrams scoring – she also had 17 rebounds

Another three-pointer by Evanda Redwood put FM up 51-36 but the Saints worked hard and closed the gap again.  With 6:23 to play, FM led by seven, but with four minutes left the Saints had closed to 54-52. They tied the game at 56-all with 3:17 on the clock.

The visitors went ahead 57-56 with a free throw. FM's Chea followed suit and knotted the score 57-57 with 2:07 left.

Sherice Gayle made FM's final basket. She worked and grabbed a rebound, then scored.  FM had 59 points. The Saints added a free throw, and the final score was 59-58. The Lady Raiders had played a disappointing second half, but they still found a way to win.

The win kept FM alone in first place in the conference. The team has a few days off before hosting Hudson Valley on Saturday. The opening jump is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.

                             C.J. Bonny, website writer

Mountain Valley Conference Standings:

Fulton-Montgomery 6-0

Mohawk Valley  4-1

Schenectady  3-1

Hudson Valley 2-2

Herkimer  2-3

North Country  1-3

Adirondack 1-5

Delhi  0-3

FM:  Jordan 2, Chea 2, Rice 17, Ev. Redwood 9, Abrams 17, Wetsky 2, Er. Redwood 4, Gayle 6; Total 59

North Country:  Uras 7, Herbert 5, Kimbraugh 4, Pennington 2, Boyea 15, Burgess 2, Smith 17, E. LaPage 6; Total 58