It may have been one of the best games they played all season.

The Newburgh Free Academy Goldbacks held a lead over the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders deep into the third quarter, but a basket by Madison Filene broke a fourth-quarter tie, giving the Crusaders the lead for good as they handed the Goldbacks a 48-42 loss in Friday’s Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Division I girls’ basketball game at Newburgh Free Academy.

“My girls played great today,” Newburgh coach Arturo Santana said. “They played hard-nosed defense, and they followed the plan to the tee on defense. Offensively, we had some running plays, but we persevered.”

The Goldbacks led the Crusaders by one point at the end of the first and second quarters and led by as many as five points twice in the third quarter.

However, with the Goldbacks leading 31-26, the Crusaders started closing the gap.

Baskets by Brianna Taveras and by Grace Gillette with 2:03 left in the game pulled the Crusaders to within a point.

Another basket by Gillette gave the Crusaders a 34-33 lead with 41 seconds to go, but the Crusaders didn’t lead the rest of the way.

With the Crusaders leading 36-33, Amelia Turner’s 3-pointer tied the game with 7:20 to go.

However, the Crusaders responded immediately as Filene broke the tie and Taveras converted a 3-point play to give Monroe-Woodbury a 41-36 lead with 6:47 remaining.

Freshman call-up Parker Mullarkey hit two free throws and T.T. Burden hit a layup to pull role Goldbacks to within a point. The Goldbacks never got closer than that.

“A couple of made baskets here a couple of made baskets there, and we could have won,” Santana said. “But Monroe finished strong, and they deserved to win.”

Fileen led the Crusaders with 24 points and Sienna Feeley added 10 points.

T.T. Burden led the Goldbacks with 24 points.

“We have to get better,” Santana said.

“Every game, that’s my job: Get our team better.”

To that end, Santana shortened the bench, and substituted less liberally than he did earlier in the season.

“Even those girls, those that did not play, they are working hard in practice,” Santana said. “They deserve credit, even though some of them play for a limited time. They help out more than they know. They’re just as important as the girls that are getting into play.”

He also brought up Mullarkey from the JV team and may bring up one more player for the last two games.

“She’s got one speed,” Santana said. “She is a tough, gritty player. Yes, she needs some work and has some weaknesses that we have to work out. You can’t teach hustle.

You can’t teach heart. You know you have it. And she has it.”

Before the games, the Goldbacks honored their lone senior, Gia Kissel.

“She’s a great kid,” Santana said. “She’s always been a team player. I only have positive things to talk about. She always works hard in practice. She gave 100 percent every time.”