Groton — This week for the Fitch High School girls’ basketball team shaped up like this:

Tuesday vs. Woodstock Academy for first place in the Eastern Connecticut Conference Division I standings, then Thursday vs. Norwich Free Academy for first place in the ECC Division I standings.

The Falcons triumphed in Part I, beating Woodstock 49-37 behind 18 points from all-star guard Mariette El Khoury, whose play of late has fallen between blazing and boiling, and a pair of Fitch buzzer-beaters to end the first and second quarters.

Fitch is 8-2 overall, 3-0 in ECC Division I under first-year head coach Falecia Porter.

“They’re listening better and better every game,” Porter said. “If I could just ... right now I would say they’re listening about 50 percent of the time. Even if I could stretch that to 90 percent I would be happy.

“But every day they’re always asking really good questions. They want to hold each other accountable and they want to hold themselves accountable, so it’s like, I don’t know, it’s just a really good group of girls. I’m really blessed to be in this position.

“Losing my mind, but having fun.”

Dre’Ana Singleton added 11 points for the Falcons and Gabby Dimock had nine. Eva Monahan had nine to lead Woodstock (9-4, 1-2).

Fitch’s upcoming opponent, NFA, is 2-1 in the division. Fitch defeated NFA 38-36 on Dec. 20. NFA topped Woodstock 43-39 to remain in the chase for the division title.

“The thing is, NFA is always going to be good because Courtney (Gomez) is their coach and she’s a great coach,” Porter said of what lies ahead. “They have one of the best coaches in the state coaching, so no matter what, I know it’s going to be a fight.”

Against Woodstock, Fitch, trailing 12-8 after a 3-point field goal by Woodstock’s Leila MacKinnon, pulled within 12-11 on a buzzer-beating 3 by Sierra Lund to end the first quarter.

The Falcons scored six straight points to start the second quarter, leading 17-12 on a basket by Dimock, but Woodstock later tied things at 17 on a 3 by Kaylee Saucier from the right-hand corner.

Singleton gave Fitch a 19-17 lead before El Khoury launched an extended 3-point field goal to beat the buzzer prior to halftime to make it 22-17.

That gave El Khoury 10 points in the half. El Khoury, the junior guard and an ECC Division I first team all-star last season, was coming off back-to-back 30-point performances. She registered a 33-point game last Thursday in a 78-58 victory at Windham and followed that with 31 points Saturday in a 73-37 win over North Branford.

Fitch retained the momentum to start the third quarter, as the Falcons went on an 8-1 run, scoring seven straight points beginning with El Khoury on the front end of a fast break, followed by a putback by Lund, who hit a short jumper from the right side.

Dimock made one free throw and El Khoury engineered a steal and a layup to make it 30-18.

Fitch put the finishing touches on its final totals by going 6-for-6 from the free throw line in the final 58 seconds.

Porter said she coached El Khoury and Singleton during an AAU season when they were in seventh grade but hadn’t seen them since then. She’s very much enjoying her reunion with the two.

“I don’t know about Fitch’s history, but this year we have scorers all over the court,” said Porter, speaking of El Khoury’s knack for scoring. “So I think having other options like Gabby Dimock and Dre’Ana’s finding her flow ... so having the defense have to focus on other areas is allowing Mariette to score almost easier because the floor’s expanding.

“There’s other lanes being created. She’s not just shooting 3s this season.”

v.fulkerson@theday.com