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Forced into the paint by injuries to regular forwards Angie Domingo and Heather Davis, the 5-foot-8 swing guard had 14 points and 6 rebounds in Blake's 59-31 home win over Poolesville.

"I actually liked playing forward tonight," Hall said. "The lane was open and the passes were good. It was interesting being on the other end of those passes. It was fun getting banged around a little bit; good practice for later in the season."

Hall was as effective at her usual post in the lanes — passing lanes — as she was in the lane. She had 4 steals, just part of a stifling first-half defensive effort by the Bengals (2-0).

Pressing after made baskets in the first quarter, Blake forced Poolesville (1-1) into turnovers on its first seven possessions of the game. All told, the Falcons turned it over 14 times in the first quarter and 32 times in the game.

"Blake accomplished what all pressing teams want to accomplish, they made us work hard just to get into our offense," said Poolesville coach Fred Swick. "We're hoping our young players gain experience as they go through the season. Seeing this kind of pressure, now we know what we need to do to get better against a team like this."

Swick is back on the bench after three years serving as the Falcons' athletic director. He retired from teaching and from the AD's office this year and picked his whistle back up.

He returns to a program coming off back-to-back regional final runs, but without most of the players who were there. The Falcons have just two seniors, neither of whom played varsity last season, and a starting lineup including two sophomores and a freshman.

"We're worrying about ourselves this year, not Blake or whoever we play next week," Swick said. "I missed coaching when I was the AD. ... It's a good hobby for me. It's always been the one thing, besides my family, that I truly, truly enjoy."

Sophomore swing guards Lindsay Poss led the Falcons in scoring for the second time in as many games, with 10 Tuesday.

The Bengals did play two freshmen, but have no such lack of experience. Seniors Christine Weithman (11 points) and Justine Allen (9), like Hall, have been part of the team's three consecutive regional titles. Guard Megan Buonomo added 10 second-half points Tuesday.

Gilmore said Davis is suffering from shin splints but has been cleared to begin practicing on Thursday. Domingo has a mysterious foot injury, Gilmore said probably a strain, and has at least another week of physical therapy ahead of her.

If they need more time to recoup, Hall is more than happy to stand in for a while longer.

"Are next couple of games are tough: Springbrook, Damascus, Paint Branch," Hall said. "We have to go to Damascus, and the rivalry games are always tight. After the next two or three weeks, we'll have a good idea of where we're at."