FARMINGTON — Led by its best player, the Farmington High school girls basketball team came from behind for ther first time this season to win a game, beating Nerwmarket in Division IV action Monday, 35-32.

The Tigers (8-2) trailed by seven points late in the third quarfter and four points with 3:19 to play.

Led by Katie Martineau, who scored a game-high 20 points, Farmington went on a game-ending, 7-0 run to pull out the win.

“We were incredibly lucky, since this is the first time that we proved we can finish,” said Tiger coach Dawn Weeks.

Down 32-28, Martineau hit a 3-pointer to close the gap to one and then gave her team the lead for good, 33-32, with a steal and a bucket at 2:20.

The Tigers’ defense, a new halfcourt press, turned it up a notch, forcing three turnovers and a missed shot by the Mules (7-6).

“It’s the first time we’ve used it,” Weeks said. “Thankfully it worked.”

A Martineau steal gave Farmington the ball back with 25 seconds to play, which meant Newmarket had to foul three times in a row to get to the bonus.

“When the zone shifted and I was at the top, I could see that they were kind of telegraphing where they were going, so I was able to anticipate it and steal it,” Martineau said.

Erryn Ebare was sent to the line with 13.4 seconds to go and she made both ends for the three-point Farmington lead.

Newmarket tried to open up 3-point sharpshooter Reagan Jordan, who scored a team-high 15 points. She launched a quick shot from the top of the key with several Tigers on her and that shot was short. The ball went out of bounds off Farmington with 2.5 seconds to go. Newmarket inbounded the ball, got it to Jordan but the horn sounded before she could attempt a final shot.

“At the end, finally, it makes me happy,” Weeks said. “I’m bursting inside because they finally came back in the final minutes with some intensity and did everything we needed to do. I’m hoping this is the start of something amazing.”

Until the final three minutes, it was pretty much all Newmarket. The Mules played great defense to frustrate Farmington, limiting the Tigers to 13 first-half points. Two Tiger starters, Chloe Weeks and Tatyana Long, got in foul trouble and both fouled out in the fourth quarter. Ebare was also in foul trouble.

Newmarket led 14-13 at the half and 27-24 at the end of three. The lead was actually 27-20 with 1:16 to play in the third after Julia Perry fed Brenda Bounphakhom for a layup, but Martineau hit two free throws and Kendra Demary’s follow shot with 18 seconds to go cut the lead to three.

Bounphakhom added eight points for the Mules.

“We worked hard this week,” said Newmarket coach Meghan Averill. “We came off a tough loss at PCA. Totally did not play Newmarket basketball. Yesterday at practice to prepare for this game we talked about getting back to what we do well, and that’s playing defense. Our defense was just spectacular tonight. To give up 35 points to a team like that is very impressive.”

The only first-half knock on the Mules was that they missed a few shots around the basket that could have upped their lead at the break to seven or nine points.

“That’s kind of been our challenge,” Averill said. “I’m coming into this program to change their mindset of being a good defensive player, but also look to attack on the offense end — that’s been a very big challenge. They’re starting to look for shots where last year they weren’t even looking for. I’m encouraged.”

Other than Martineau, no other Tiger scored more than four points (Weeks and Ebare).

Farmington plays four games in five days starting Thursday at Concord Christian. Newmarket hosts Epping Thursday.

FARMINGTON 35, NEWMARKET 32

NEWMARKET (32)

Gallion 1-0-2, Bounphakhom 3-2-8, Jordan 4-4-15, Fowler 0-1-1, Perry 1-0-2, Filion 2-0-4, Levesque, Henry, Palasciano. Totals: 11-7-32.

FARMINGTON (35)

Martineau 8-2-20, Weeks 2-0-4, Ebare 1-2-4, Long 1-0-3, Demary 1-0-2, Radcliffe 1-0-2, Kobbe, DiPrizio, Langley. Totals: 14-4-35.

Newmarket 8 6 13 5—32

Farmington 6 7 11 11—35

3-Point Goals—Newmarket 3 (Jordan 3), Farmington 3 (Martineau 2, Long).