Last modified: Tuesday, January 6, 2009 2:15 AM EST Mansfield's Colleen Hooper (32) passes to a teammate while King Philip's Allie Lomp guards from afar. (Staff photo by MARTIN GAVIN) MHS girls roll to 7-0 BY MARK FARINELLA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF MANSFIELD - When you're on top of the world, they line up behind you with the intention of taking you down a peg. That's the reminder that the unbeaten Mansfield High School girls' basketball team received from King Philip Monday night. The Hornets blanked KP in the first quarter (11-0) and built a lead of 19 points early in the third quarter, but saw that lead shrink to eight points early in the fourth before pulling away for a 42-29 triumph in Hockomock League play. Two free throws by junior Sara Annis and a three-point play on a putback by sophomore Molly McGovern reduced the deficit to 32-24 with 5:48 to play. But Mansfield regrouped and countered quickly with a lay-in by Emily Moomey off Colleen Hooper's feed, and two free throws by Hooper with 4:19 to go for a 36-24 Hornet lead, more than enough to stay undefeated at 7-0, 5-0 in the Hockomock. "We came out with great intensity, but we just couldn't score," said KP coach Dan Damish, whose Warriors fell to 1-5, 0-4 in the league. "But in the second half, that's the way we should play basketball. I'm very proud of the kids." "I think King Philip played with more intensity tonight," Mansfield coach Mike Redding said. "We started out pretty well, we finished the half well, but then the whole second half, we never got into a rhythm." The Hornets completely intimidated the Warriors defensively in the opening quarter, either in transition or setting up perimeter shots. Hooper, the talented junior point guard, scored five of the 11 Mansfield points toward her game-high total of 18. Center Jess Eason's lay-in off a feed from Bridget Davis made it 13-0 before KP finally broke the ice, on a layup by Annis (team-high six points) off McGovern's feed with 4:56 left in the half. The Warriors pulled back within nine (13-4) before Mansfield put on a 9-1 finishing kick behind five more points by Hooper. "The good thing right now is that when she drives, she's avoiding the charge and she's finding the open person when they come to help," Redding said. "Last year, she'd put her head down and go to the basket one way or another." Mansfield led 22-5 at the half and 26-7 a minute into the third quarter, but KP found the range and outscored the Hornets 8-3 over the next three minutes, trailing just 29-15 on a pair of Ashley Brescia free throws. Scoring the first five points of the final quarter made things interesting for KP, but it was short-lived. The Warriors got no closer than nine points, on a third-try rebound by Megan Cronin with 2:12 left, over the last four minutes. "They're overthinking, and that comes with experience," Damish said of his team's reluctance to challenge Mansfield in the paint. "They'll get better with experience. Unfortunately, right now our experience is out there on the court." KP enjoyed a slight 37-34 rebounding edge, Cronin and Annis both pulling down seven. Eason added 10 points and eight rebounds to the Mansfield effort despite having to contend with 6-foot-1 Charlotte Firth in the paint. It's a quick turnaround for KP, which entertains Sharon tonight. Mansfield is idle until Foxboro visits the Albertini Gym on Friday.