The Concord High girls’ basketball team opened its season against Portsmouth High School at home on Monday night. The two are coming off very different seasons, Portsmouth (2-0) made the final four while the Tide finished with an 8-10 record that saw them narrowly miss the playoffs due to a tie-breaker.

Concord has a good mix of senior players and young up-and-coming sophomores and freshmen, with only two juniors on the roster. In the season preview, new head coach Jon Edwards said that sophomore Abigail Lash and seniors Jillian Nailor and Makayla Root all provide varsity experience to the squad, and sophomores Camryn Dubois and Isabelle Langlois had improved leaps and bounds over the offseason.

However, work is yet to be done during the long season ahead with a new coach and a very young squad. That was evident in the game on Monday night as Concord fell, 56-35, to the Clippers in a tough physical matchup.

Concord showed sparks of offensive firepower and kept the game close until halfway through the third quarter. Sophomore guard Abigail Lash hit a big 3-pointer on a pull-up jumper to bring the Tide within three, 25-22.

Shortly after, a Concord turnover led to a Clipper fast break by senior forward Bridget Emery and after she was fouled on a shot, players on both sides received technical fouls. This moment marked the beginning of a cold streak for Concord’s shooters and saw Portsmouth take a 41-26 lead by the end of the third.

“Our next goal is to string together a full game; the third quarter was the difference in the game. And unfortunately, our offense just didn’t hold up,” Edwards said. “We had some big shots and the kids stayed in it, but I think we just need some more time for chemistry. I think the heart and the teamwork are there.”

Turnovers were an issue for the Tide all game, and in the first half they stifled Concord’s offensive momentum. The turnovers allowed Clippers’ quick guards and wings to get on the fast break to drive in the paint uncontested or find open shots by kicking the basketball out to the perimeter.

“We did a better job of closing out on them in the second half. But for us, we’ve got to have more on-ball pressure because it speeds things up. For an inexperienced team like we have and they have as well, sometimes that could be the difference,” said Portsmouth coach Tim Hopley.

The Tide’s shooting from three kept them in the game, but driving into the paint was a difficult endeavor. Lash led the Tide in scoring with 12 points on three 3-pointers and three free throws. Sophomore guard Camryn Dubois hit three threes for a total of nine points, and senior guard Jillian Nailor hit two threes and a few free throws to score 10 points on the night.

“We have some good plays that we put in, so now just executing. We all did our part. So today, it’s moving forward and working hard,” Nailor said post-game. “Our team does a great job getting open, swinging the ball and that kind of stuff. Everyone plays their part.”

This first game was largely experimental for Edwards’ team, which is trying to build chemistry and improve throughout the season. Finding answers when teams can guard them well on the perimeter and limiting turnovers will be key.

Meanwhile, maintaining composure and limiting fouls against bigger players will lead to easier games down the stretch. Senior forward Maggie Pataki scored nine points for the Clippers in the third quarter, all in the paint, and Emery added eight.

The Clippers did not hit a single 3-pointer in the game and Concord hit eight. Portsmouth lived in the paint and rotated the ball effectively when a gap wasn’t there. For the most part, Concord did well defensively, but the turnovers saw them on their heels often.

“Right now, it’s about figuring out who’s going to be at what spot,” Edwards said. “Obviously, we need to do a little bit better job handling physicality on both ends. But all in all, the kids played as well as they played in the positions that we put them in.”

Alexander Rapp can be reached at arapp@cmonitor.com.