CARY - The Green Hope girls basketball team brought its defensive intensity on Friday, staying unbeaten in the Tri-Nine Conference with a 43-28 victory over visiting Holly Springs.

Kristin Gaffney led the Falcons with 21 points, but it was their quickness to the ball that limited the Golden Hawk penetration, making it very hard for Holly Springs (12-6 overall, 8-3 conference) to score.

“Holly Springs is a talented team and it was good to get the win,” said Green Hope head coach Michael Robinson, whose Falcons improved to 15-2 overall and 10-0 in the Tri-Nine. “Our shots didn’t fall early but they kept scratching and clawing to manufacture some points.”

The Falcons led 20-11 at halftime. Gaffney, Ashley Williams (10 points) and sophomore Jaria Martin (6 assists) started to click midway through the second period, when the Falcons got some rare transition baskets and went on an 11-0 run.

The Hawks came within three points, 24-21, midway through the third quarter on a Linnea Hoops three-pointer, but never could tie the score.

Gaffney, a senior who will be playing for Vanderbilt next year, and Williams combined for 11 points late in the third to give the Falcons a comfortable 35-25 lead entering the final period.

Kiara Leslie (12 points, 8 rebounds) and Syrenna McLean (10 rebounds) led Holly Springs, who remains in second place in the conference.

“We just couldn’t put the ball in the basket,” said Holly Springs head coach Richard Young. “The girls played hard tonight, but shots didn’t fall.”

A lot of that had to do with the Green Hope defense.

“Our defense tonight was excellent,” Robinson said. “Jaria (Martin) and Maggie Auslander bring a level of intensity defensively that really energizes our entire team, and our girls feed off of that.”

Green Hope travels to Apex Tuesday while Holly Springs hosts Athens Drive.