Sadly for the Marauders, their opponents did just enough to come away with the victory. Dunkirk’s first victory has to wait for another day.

Falconer escaped with a 37-32 win over Dunkirk in a Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 1 game Friday at Dunkirk High School.

“The kids are growing and they are developing. They are so close,” Gullo said. “The joke is we’re the best 0-10 team in the section, because we’re giving every team fits. I’m happy about that. Their day is coming.”

Dunkirk (0-10, 0-5) could not have started better, as the Marauders got a steal on the game’s opening possession that started a fast-break opportunity. Khloe Munson dished the ball to Jocelyn Thomas for a layup and the early 2-0 lead.

OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen Dunkirk’s Jocelyn Thomas (23) drives into the lane during the second half of a CCAA Division 1 girls basketball game against Falconer on Friday at Dunkirk High School.

The Dunkirk defense kept Falconer (5-5, 3-1) off the board through the first two minutes, then did the same in the final two minutes of the period. The problem for Dunkirk was the four minutes in between, as the Golden Falcons scored eight straight points as Dunkirk went scoreless until an Ema Pacheco baseline jumper with 1:02 left in the period.

In the second quarter, Dunkirk showed that it doesn’t matter how the shot looks, as long as it goes in.

The Marauders hit two 3-pointers in the period, and they could not have looked any different. Each shot gave Dunkirk the lead, first at 9-8, then at 12-10.

First, nearly two minutes in, Jocelyn Thomas rattled in a low, direct shot from the right side of the arc. Then, nearly two minutes later, Chianti Lopez sunk a high, arcing shot from the left side of the arc that got nothing but net.

“We’re getting a lot of great shots, and those shots are starting to fall,” Gullo said.

Unfortunately for Dunkirk, the Marauders followed that up with another scoreless four-minute stretch. Falconer scored seven straight points to take a 17-12 lead into the break.

“I think it’s starting to click a little bit, knowing what decision to make — when to get the ball in, when to kick it, when to go up strong with it,” said Falconer head coach Emma Steele. “It’s been a moment to get there, but it’s starting to fall in our favor a little bit.”

Just over a minute into the second half, Dunkirk turned its five-point deficit into a one-point lead after 3-pointers from Pacheco and Lopez. The lead changed hands three more times over the next two minutes before Falconer pulled ahead by four points, 26-22. Both teams went scoreless for the final 1:40 of the third quarter.

Within the first minute of the fourth quarter, Pacheco tied the score with a 3-pointer. The game was tied again after a Khloe Munson layup with 6:30 left to play. Addison Calimeri answered with a go-ahead layup, then later added a free throw to put the Golden Falcons ahead by three points.

Dunkirk pulled to within a point twice — even after Lopez fouled out to leave the Marauders with only six active players on the night. Dunkirk had the ball down three points twice in the final minute, but Falconer got the stops it needed to hold Dunkirk scoreless over the final two-plus minutes to finish off the victory.

Steele said it was huge to see her team come out on top of such a tight battle on the road. “There were a lot of moments where they made a big three or they made a shot when we slipped up, but we talk about how do you respond to it?,” she said. ” … I’m proud of the composure and how we finished. Those are tough games to end.”

Falconer was led on the night by Ellyson Baglia, who dominated the paint on Friday with 18 points, 14 of which came from in the paint. Calimeri added 8 points for the Golden Falcons; Alexis Smith and Brynn Helms each had 4 points; and Sydnee Snow had 3 points.

Dunkirk was led by Pacheco and Lopez, each with 10 points on the night. Thomas had 9 points while guiding the offense as the point guard.

“(Thomas) is improving every day, and it is so nice because now, I have to tell her less and less. I want her to take over,” Gullo said. “… Our other freshman, Chianti Lopez, tonight had 10 points. She is coming into her own. The future is very bright.”

Following a road win on Tuesday over Olean, Falconer finished the week with a second league win Friday. The Golden Falcons are back in action Tuesday in another league game against Allegany-Limestone.

“We ended the week with two league wins, so we’re trying to keep fighting for momentum,” Steele said.

Dunkirk has a week off before traveling to Allegany-Limestone next Friday.