For the second consecutive game, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s girls basketball team was slow out of the gates Monday night and unable to come all the way back from a large second-quarter deficit as host Isle of Wight Academy won 53-48.

The Lady Chargers started slowly, but extremely effectively.

Working patiently in their half court offense for most of the opening quarter, IWA shot 9-for-12 from the field, jumping on the Lady Saints 19-9 after one period, a lead that grew to 30-14 with just under four minutes to play in the half.

NSA began chipping at the lead from there as jump shots by Ellen Giermak and Michelle Boucher made it 30-18 and the NSA defense was able to clamp down on IWA for the rest of the half.

The lead shrunk to 31-24 at the break as Parris Grieder scored the last six points of the half including her last bucket on an offensive rebound and put back jumper from the left baseline with four seconds left.

With just over four minutes to go in the third quarter, Jenna Robb’s steal and assist led to a Boucher lay-in, cutting the lead to 36-30, but each team mustered just two points the rest of the quarter and IWA kept its six-point cushion into the last period.

The Lady Chargers scored to start the period, making it 40-32 before a Giermak rebound and score in the lane, followed on the ensuing inbounds pass by a Jenna Starkey steal and lay-up, quickly cut the gap to 40-36 with 6:02 remaining, the closest NSA had been since early in the first quarter.

IWA stretched the lead back to five before Boucher was fouled while putting up a three from the right corner.

With 2:51 left, Boucher was perfect on the three foul shots, making it 46-44 IWA, but four free throws in the remainder gave IWA too much of an advantage.

Giermak was the high scorer with 14 points, 10 of which came in the second half.

Boucher had 13 points along with five boards and three blocked shots.

Grieder had 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Lady Saints (2-2, 0-0) play in Southampton Academy Christmas Classic Thursday and Friday, battling Tidewater Academy Thursday and Southampton Academy Friday.

andrew.giermak@suffolknewsherald.com