NORTH ADAMS, Mass. -- The Drury girls basketball team picked a good time to prove its coach right.

 

Olivia Carlson hit a free throw with seconds remaining to give the Blue Devils a 40-37 lead, and Drury hung on for a 40-39 win over Wahconah on Friday night.

 

The game brought to mind the Blue Devils' first day of practice, when first-year coach Brian Flagg emphasized foul shooting with his new charges.

 

"One of them said to me just now in the locker room, 'Coach, exactly what you said came through. We've got to hit free throws to win the big games,' Flagg said.

 

"We weren't great. We went 10-for-18, but we mae some big ones down the stretch."

 

Carlson finished with 10 points -- four the the line. Molly Moulton led all scorers with 17.

 

For Wahconah, Julia O'Connor and Lily Pudlo each scored eight to lead the way.

 

"We played really good defense," Flagg said. "The defense is just coming around so quickly and faster than I ever hoped possible."

 

Wahconah (6-3) travels to face Pittsfield on Tuesday.

 

Drury (5-4) is at Taconic on Tuesday.

 

"This is totally the kind of game we can build on," Flagg said. "We had a pretty good second half [in a loss] against Pittsfield the other night. We wanted to take the momentum of that into this game, and we did that.

 

"Now, have to take the momentum from this one against well-coached, disciplined team into our next game."