In a back-and-forth FCIAC matchup, the Greenwich High School girls basketball team dropped an ultra-tight decision against host New Canaan on Tuesday night, 43-42.

The Cardinals, whose early-season record is 1-3, held a 12-8 lead on the Rams after the first quarter, but were limited to four points in the second quarter. New Canaan entered halftime with a 19-16 advantage.

“It always hurts to lose by 1 and tonight is no different,” Greenwich coach Megan Wax said shortly after Tuesday’s game. “Everyone is replaying a missed layup, or foul shot or bad pass that might have changed the outcome, which is tough, but a necessary thought if we want to change and grow moving forward.”

Senior guard/captain Carolyn Frankle scored a game-high 16 points to lead Greenwich. Senior guard Laura Smego added 11 points, while teammate Riana Xhekaj, a forward, posted eight points for the Cardinals.

Smego converted three 3-pointers, while senior guard/captain Sophia Sergio made a 3-pointer for Greenwich, which also received 11 points from senior forward Julia Monteiro.

The Rams were ahead of the Cardinals, 35-28 following three quarters of action, but GHS outscored the hosts, 14-8 in the fourth quarter and almost pulled out the win.

Senior Maddie Donaldson’s 12 points paced New Canaan, which improved its record to a perfect 5-0. Senior Natalie Plosker contributed eight points, while junior Tia Kivikko contributed seven points for the victors.

“We are so proud of the way we played in the fourth quarter and how we were able to raise the intensity and execute our plan,” Wax said of her Cardinals squad. “Unfortunately, our second quarter was not great and ultimately, in our league, you can’t win games if you don’t execute in all four quarters.”

“So, we are resolved to work hard on solidifying and consistently executing the basics and being a full 32-minute team,” Wax noted.

Greenwich hosts conference foe Brien McMahon on Friday at 7 p.m., then has another home game on Saturday against Amistad at 2 p.m.