HANGING ON — Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther’s Bethany Petrowiak (22) and Martin County West’s Emily Anderson battle for possession of the basketball during Valley Conference action Thursday night in Trimont. The Mavericks’ Thea Anderson (31) and Kari Matejka (1), along with the Jaguars’ Madisen Lewis (35), watch the tug-of-war. (Photo by Greg Abel)

TRIMONT — Martin County West combined drive-to-the-rim offense with shot-rejecting vertical defense to fend off Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther during the last battle of the Valley Conference rivals’ two-game seasonal series.

Emily Anderson produced a game-best 18 points, grabbed 10 boards, recorded five blocks and doled out three assists, while Liv Borchardt tossed in 10 points, pulled down seven rebounds and blocked five shots to spearhead the hometown Mavericks’ 49-40 victory over the Jaguars on Thursday night in Trimont.

“Both teams struggled finding their rhythm during the early stages of the game, and then we traded the lead back-and-forth right up until halftime,” said Martin County West head coach Rodger Taylor.

After Thea Anderson tossed in two of her 14-point performance and Emily Anderson drained the first of her three 3-pointers to stake the Mavericks to a quick 5-0 lead, McKenna Benck reeled off 10 of her team-best 13 points to swing an eventual 16-12 lead to the Jaguars.

McKenna Benck swooshed three consecutive free throws after getting fouled behind the 3-point arc and later countered Emily Anderson’s pair of trifectas with a trey of her own.

Emily Anderson and Borchardt then utilized a perimeter-and-post offensive approach, respectively, to regain the upperhand on the scoreboard for the Mavericks during the final 4 minutes before intermission.

Borchardt followed Anderson’s deep right-wing 3-pointer by converting one of Avery Sanders’ co-game-best six assists into a low-post basket for a 17-16 MCW lead with 3:30 remaining.

Bethany Petrowiak, who generated a double-double performance of 11 points and a game-best 13 rebounds, sank a solo free throw for the Jaguars, but Borchardt would have the final word of the initial half. Borchardt banked home a leaner off a Sanders’ entry pass for a 19-17 lead by halftime.

McKenna Benck drilled a left-wing trey off one of Keira Benck’s team-high three assists to regain the lead for the Jaguars to open the second half.

Emily Anderson, Borchardt, Kari Matejka and Thea Anderson then combined for a 10-3 second-half surge to grab a six-point edge with 12 minutes left in regulation.

Despite Bethany Petrowiak’s inside point production and Keira Benck’s perimeter shooting, the Jaguars could not get any closer than two due to Emily Anderson’s six consecutive points and a right-wing bank from Matejka by the 6-minute juncture.

“The girls stepped up down the stretch and got some easy looks on the offensive end by making some key defensive stops,” said Taylor.

Emily Anderson and Borchardt combined to block four Jaguar shots during the final 3 minutes and Thea Anderson tossed in a pair of low-post buckets to avenge MCW’s 48-45 loss to GHEC/Truman/Martin Luther on Dec. 13.

Matejka distributed a co-game-best six assists to complement a five-point performance for the Mavericks, while Thea Anderson added six boards to her 14-point effort.

Keira Benck pocketed a game-best eight steals and doled out three assists to go with her 11-point performance for the Jaguars, while Bethany Petrowiak and McKenna Benck each garnered four steals.

Martin County West (7-9) travels to Alden on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. conference game against Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons, while the Jaguars (9-6) make the same trip on Monday night to face the ACGE Knights in Game 1 of a varsity doubleheader at 5:45 p.m.

GHECTML      17-23–40

MC West          19-30–49

MCW (49)

E. Anderson 7-9 1-2 18, Borchardt 4-6 2-3 10, Carlson 1-3 0-2 2, T. Anderson 6-12 2-2 14, Matejka 2-8 0-1 5, Sanders 0-2 0-2 0, Schettler 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-40 5-12 49.

GHECTML (40)

Zaharia 0-1 0-0 0, Beth. Petrowiak 3-19 5-6 11, Lewis 1-9 0-0 2, K. Benck 3-6 3-9 11, M. Benck 4-14 3-3 13, Bri. Petrowiak 1-6 1-2 3. Totals 12-55 12-20 40.

3-pointers: Martin Co. West 4-11 (E. Anderson 3-5, Matejka 1-6); GHEC/Truman/Martin Luther 4-18 (M. Benck 2-7, K. Benck 2-5, Lewis 0-4, Beth. Petrowiak 0-2). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: MCW 33 (E. Anderson 10, Borchardt 7); GHECTML 26 (Beth. Petrowiak 13). Assists: MCW 16 (Matejka and Sanders 6 each, E. Anderson 3); GHECTML 6 (K. Benck 3). Steals: GHECTML 19 (K. Benck 8, Beth. Petrowiak and M. Benck 4 each). Blocks: MCW 11 (E. Anderson and Borchardt 5 each); GHECTML 3.