Nansemond-Suffolk Academy’s girls’ basketball team rebounded from having its 10-game winning streak snapped on Friday by defeating host Norfolk Academy 43-39 on Tuesday.

“We came out and we jumped on them pretty quickly,” Lady Saints coach Kim Aston said of the Lady Bulldogs.

She estimated her team got an 11-3 lead when the Lady Bulldogs called a timeout.

“And then after that point, we did not rebound the ball well, and when we don’t rebound, then we can’t run the fast break,” Aston said.

Things continued to unravel from there, she said, adding that though NSA was playing good defense, its failure to secure defensive rebounds allowed Norfolk Academy to get some easy put backs.

The Lady Saints led 19-11 after the first quarter, but then they lost the second quarter 8-7 and the third quarter 9-6, cutting their lead to 32-28 entering the final period.

When Nansemond-Suffolk was on offense, the Lady Bulldogs “were playing some junk defense on Harper (Birdsong) and trying to pressure Harper up and down the floor,” Aston said, referencing her senior point guard. “When were able to get the ball to Caroline (Hogg), we were able to score.”

Hogg, a 6-foot-4-inch senior center, shot the ball well from the floor but got in foul trouble, forcing her to sit out half of the third quarter and half of the fourth.

With about two and a half minutes left in the game, Norfolk Academy had cut the Lady Saints’ lead to two, and Aston called a timeout. Then she drew up a play that got the ball to Hogg, and her team ran it three consecutive times, seeing some good results.

“That was really what built the lead back up,” Aston said. “And then in the last minute, they were fouling, and they sent Harper to the line five times.”

Uncharacteristically, Birdsong missed some of her foul shots, giving the Lady Bulldogs more chances to score.

With NSA up by seven, Norfolk Academy senior team captain Tyler Moore hit a three-pointer, but the Lady Saints managed to return home with the four-point win.

Though Aston indicated she does not see the Lady Bulldogs as being one of the best in the conference this season, she said, “They play really hard and they rebound really well, and so right now, rebounding seems to be our weakness.”

It had been a strength, particularly thanks to junior forward Kelly Hogan, but she was quieter on Tuesday, finishing with eight boards to go with two points.

Tyler Moore led all scorers with 19 points, but Birdsong was right behind with 18 points, plus 12 rebounds and three steals.

Hogg finished with 15 points, six blocks and five rebounds.

“Caroline had a good night offensively when we got her the ball,” Aston said. “We just struggled some getting her the ball.”

Nansemond-Suffolk fell 56-46 on Friday to host St. Catherine’s School, a team that is currently ranked No. 4 in the state at the Division I level of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association.

The loss followed an impressively balanced performance by the Lady Saints on Thursday against visiting Norfolk Christian School. In the 68-31 NSA win, Birdsong and Hogg each scored 17 points, Hogan and junior guard Lindsay Knierbein each scored 10 and junior guard Logan Harrell added six points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals.

“I thought that was our best game of the year,” Aston said.

Nansemond-Suffolk (16-3, 4-0) faces a major test on Thursday when it visits Cape Henry Collegiate School.