The No. 6 Pawtucket co-op girls basketball team knocked off No. 11 Cranston West last week in a 49-38 decision.

The Falcons were right in the battle, trailing just 17-15 at halftime. The Pawtucket offense would surge in the second half to run away with the win down the stretch.

There was an incident in the third quarter when two players began shoving each other on the court, leading to fans stepping on the floor. After a brief stoppage in play, fans were directed to leave and the remainder of the game was played in an empty gym.

“I was a little disappointed. Fans had to leave because of some bad behavior, bad decisions made on the floor and with the fans. It was a disappointment,” said West coach Nerson Santiago, who had hoped for a stronger finish from his club in both the Division I playoffs and state tournament. “The game before, (Barrington) shot 30 free throws, which was lopsided. We didn’t shoot well down the stretch and we missed some easy layups that could have shifted the momentum. It wasn’t our night the last few games.”

It was a bounce back season for the Falcons who returned to the DI playoffs and reached the semifinals. West will be graduating some core pieces including captains Maia Riccio and Olivia Tedeschi-Moran.

“First and foremost we’ll be messing Maia Riccio. We built our dribble and drive offense around her with her penetration ability. We’ll miss her on offense, with rebounding, her free throw shooting. The tenaciousness of Olivia Tedeschi-Moran and her ability to get to the basket. Our triple penetrations will have to be adjusted next year. We’ll be missing Alyssa Robinson as a shooter from the corner, Allie Brown for her rebounding,” said Santiago.

Leading the way next year will be Kyla Buco, who led the team in scoring this season and was one of the top offensive weapons in the state. Although the team’s scheme will need to be addressed, Santiago is confident in his returners to carry the torch and go on another run.

“The players returning next year will fill those roles sufficiently. They’ll come in and work hard we’ll switch things in our motions. The offense needs to shift a bit based on the strengths and weaknesses of what we have returning,” said Santiago. “We’ll have to run more screens, (Buco will) be facing more pressure so we’ll have to figure out some ways to get the ball to her. We need to get her some open looks and she’ll have to knock them down. She’s a great player and will be taking on a leadership role.”