A roller coaster ride of leads and comebacks Monday saw the Spartans come out ahead in a nail biter of a battle against the visiting Kingston High Buccaneers, the team’s first home game of the season.

The Bainbridge High varsity girls basketball team eventually claimed a 47-46 win in the extra stanza, rebounding from a disheartening debut loss on the road the week before to Port Angeles, to even up the early season record 1-1.

Still, after the final buzzer, for all the fanfare and celebration, something was missing.

Nicole Hebner’s voice.

The Spartan Head Coach had yelled herself nearly mute during the harrowing home court debut, determined, she said, to refresh the team’s mood and not repeat the outcome of the season’s first contest. Both games saw the Spartans leap out in front early, only to be tied and eventually overtaken by their opponents.

Late in Monday’s game, with the Buccaneers pushing for a similar scenario, Hebner had gotten loud.

And the team had gotten serious.

“We did some things that aren’t characteristic of us,” the coach said Monday. “We’re a very inexperienced group. We have some kids that have seen quality court minutes, but we also have a bunch of kids that play basketball just for the high school season.”

Leading the roster this year are senior players Katie Usellis, Carly Lant, Deahna King, Georgia Seltzer, Paulina Bredy and Natalie Beatie; juniors Makaila Deen, Taylor Tye and Kira Havill; sophomore Maddie Loverich; and freshman Grace Carson.

What many on the team lack in experience, Hebner said, they more than make up for in enthusiasm.

“We have fun,” she said. “I love them and I thought [Monday] they came out and we had a vision and we weren’t going to get beat. We got beat by a team we shouldn’t have lost to the other day, and we didn’t want to do it again.”

Bainbridge led in the first quarter 16-13, but were outdone in the second 12-5, thus entering the second half down 25-21.

The third quarter saw the Spartans ready and refocused, and the island squad regained the lead, outscoring the Buccaneers 13-8 (34-33 BHS).

The game’s final quarter in regulation play was brutally back and forth, with neither team able to gain ample enough ground for the win before the final buzzer, which saw the score knotted at 43-43.

It wasn’t until the OT session that the Spartans were able to get out in front enough — and just in the nick of time — for the win. Bainbridge pulled ahead almost immediately, given the extra four minutes, and were up 45-43 with 3:17 to go.

Then the Bucs came back and tied things yet again with just under 2:30 left.

Bainbridge busted back in front again 47-45 with 1:44 left to go and it quickly became clear that the winner would be the one lucky enough to stay ahead just a bit longer than the other, as the march of time quickly took precedence over the march up the court.

Each team would end up having one more free throw opportunity before time ran out. Tye came up short for Bainbridge, and senior guard Aileen Kaye sunk only one for Kingston, leaving the score at 47-46 with just 1.7 seconds to go. And the year’s first Spartan victory was secured.

Tye led the Spartans with 17 points. Usellis managed a close second, with 11.

The team’s tendency to lead early and then fall behind, Hebner said, was a combination of early season jitters and overall inexperience. Nothing a little practice couldn’t cure.

“I think that’s just basketball,” the coach said. “I think basketball is a game of runs and also a game of mistakes at times. It’s whoever makes the most runs and the fewest mistakes that is going to win. And, fortunately for us, tonight that was us.”

Early observations made it clear to the coach that there were definite areas of improvement in need of attention and some intangible, but essential, strengths already there.

“We missed a couple of easy shots at the end of the game in both regulation and overtime,” she said, adding that she was proud to see the team remaining determined throughout the game.

“We got the job done.”

Hebner said this year’s Spartan squad was showing exceptional work ethic and drive so far this year.

“Our energy this year is so much better than it ever has been,” she said. “We’ve got some really positive kids and we’ve also got some kids who aren’t very vocal, but they balance each other out really, really well.

“They want to learn, they want to get better,” she added. “They want to work hard [and] you can’t ask for much more.”