EAST PROVIDENCE — The East Providence High School girls' basketball team completed the first week of its 2023-24 Division I schedule with a pair of losses, 50-28 on the road in Providence against LaSalle and 50-31 at home against Portsmouth.

Against the visiting Patriots, East Providence led early on Trinity Provencher layup and a Harmonie McDowell 3-pointer. The Townies' margin moved to six (8-2) when Zarae Hall added another triple midway through the first quarter. But Portsmouth scored the next nine points take the lead for the first and only time it needed the rest of the way. Hall ended the period layup, leaving the locals down 11-10 heading into the second.

Hall dropped a pair of buckets while McDowell chipped in two free throws and Nadina Fortes one to account for the Townies' points before the break when they trailed 22-17.

The third period ultimately proved the deciding eight minutes. Portsmouth scored the first 13 points of the quarter to up its lead to 35-17 before Hall finally got the Townies on the board with a layup with just over three minutes left in the stanza. McDowell tacked on two more free throws.

Audrey Bernard and Denelle Solano Guerrero each had put-back layups off rebounds, leaving EP down 41-25 heading into the final frame when Hall hit a jumper and made two from the line and Provencher added her other hoop on the night. Hall finished with a team-best 15 points.

"I've seen some good things, but we have a long way to go. being down five at half to Portsmouth was good, but then they outscored us something like 20-7. That can't happen, and you cant have 20 plus turnovers, but these are all teachable moments, It's going to be a learning curve for all of us," first-year EPHS head coach Tammy Drape said of the Townies' first league games.

The Townies (1-3 overall, 0-2 in D-I) are back in action  Tuesdeay night, Dec. 19, on the road in Scituate. Game time is 7 p.m.

— East Providence Post and eastbayri.com contributing photographer Julie Furtado shot the accompanying gallery of photos.