BROWNSTOWN — The Brownstown Central and Paoli girls’ basketball teams were tied at 46 with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter of their game on the Braves’ floor Saturday night.

Maddy Hackman hit a 10-foot jumper at the 4:30 mark, Emma Klinge drilled a 3-pointer 30 seconds later as the Braves finished on a 10-4 run and won 56-50 in their home opener.

“I loved the way our girls competed,” head coach Brandon Allman said. “We could have easily folded. Basketball being a game of runs, we started off on a run (leading 12-2). Paoli answered (outscoring the Braves 22-13 in the second quarter).

“I thought the shot Maddy Hackman hit at the end of the end of the second quarter was a big boost for us to cut it to four (29-25) at the half. That gave our girls a glimmer of hope coming back out in the third quarter and it showed. We really got going in the third quarter, got the game going up-and-down which is what we like to have.”

Hackman made a pair of 3-pointers and scored 8 points to help her team to a 12-7 lead at the end of the first period.

The Braves (1-2) cooled off to 4-for-17 shooting in the second period that enabled the Rams to take the halftime lead. Hackman added 8 points in the second period.

After the visitors scored the first basket of the third period, Andrea Bair made 4 free throws and a 3-pointer to spark the Braves to a 9-0 run to take a 34-31 lead.

Hackman and Klinge scored baskets later in the quarter to cut Paoli’s lead to 41-40 going into the final quarter.

Klinge had the hot hand for the Braves in the fourth quarter by scoring 5-straight points for her team over a 90-second span, then hitting a huge 3-pointer with 4 minutes remaining that gave BCHS a 51-46 lead.

“They regained the lead (44-43) but we were able to answer,” Allman said. “Our scoring came from an abundance of girls. Jenna Klosterman drove, got fouled and made two free throws, Andrea Bair got a great rebound and kick out and Emma Klinge made a big three. It was a really great team win.”

Hackman topped the Braves with 20 points. Kalee Borden scored 12 and Klinge 10. Hannah Stahl, Borden and Hackman had 6 rebounds apiece.

Jackie Crews topped the Rams (1-2) with 24 points and Kasey McBride scored 16.

Hackman said communicating was the key to the Braves’ improvement and the win.

“I think we communicated and talked a lot more. That was really a point of emphasis at practice this week. Allman talked with us, we called out their plays, and we scouted them really well,” she said.“We knew where Crews was most of the time. I thought Kalee did a really nice job on her.”

Crews only had 1 free throw in the fourth period.

“I think we really locked in, zoned in the second half,” Hackman said. “Emma and Kalee really stepped up for us in the second half.”

The Braves will travel to Trinity Lutheran Tuesday night.

“They’ve got a really good basketball team. Bailey Tabeling is one of the better players in the state, especially as a junior,” Allman said. “We’ve got to keep focusing on ourselves. We’ve got a lot to do to get better. I think our girls are starting to understand when the basketball is moving and we get ball reversals good things happen.”

Hackman said, “We’ve got to focus our on-the-ball defense. Bailey is amazing. She can create shots. She can shoot, so we’ve really got to focus on her.”