COAL TOWNSHIP - One was a nailbiter, and one was a snoozefest.
The girls' portion of the 17th annual Red Raider Tip Off Basketball Tournament started with a clash of two state playoff teams from a year ago with Marian Catholic beating Shamokin 43-37.
Then Lourdes cruised to a 56-18 win over Meadowbrook Chrisitan in the second game.
Shamokin and Meadowbrook Christian will play at noon today in the consolation game, while Marian and Lourdes meet at 3 p.m. for the fourth straight year in the championship game. Lourdes won 47-40 last year.
It was very nearly an all-Coal Township meeting in the championship game.
Shamokin led 33-28 going into the fourth quarter but scored just four points and had 15 turnovers in the last eight minutes of the game.
"Their pressure got to us and we didn't handle it well," Shamokin head coach Bill Callahan said. "Give them all the credit in the world."
Marian scored only twice on field goals during its 15-4 fourth-quarter run, but went 11-for-18 from the foul line when it counted most.
Shamokin started the game in mid-season form.
Kelsey Yacko scored the Indians' first two baskets, and although she finished with just six points she had 10 rebounds and five steals.
Yacko, however, had to play
nearly the entire fourth quarter with four fouls, limiting her minutes and effectiveness.
Shamokin's other returning front-court starter from last year, Olivia Bonshock, led the Indians with 16 points. She also had 10 rebounds and is the only Indians' player to attempt a foul shot all game.
After Bonshock scored five points in the span of 30 seconds near the end of the third quarter, Shamokin had its largest lead of the game - seven points.
But Marian clawed back.
The engineer of the Fillies' pressure was Gabby Green. She also led Marian with 16 points.
"We had opportunities to put them away and we didn't do it," Callahan said. "The physical style of the game intimidated us and it's a learning lesson."
The only lessons learned in the Lourdes' win over Meadowbrook Christian were that first-year starters Bailey Trell, Rachel Schultz and Caitlyn Funk fit right into the run-and-gun offense and high-pressure defense.
Schultz led the team with 19 points and was a one-woman headache for Meadowbrook on the defensive end.
Trell added nine points and Funk scored three.
Senior Sara Getchey hit four 3-pointers and finished with 14 points.
The Red Raiders had 43 points on the board before Meadowbrook scored its first basket, and the Red Raiders' reserves played most of the second half.
Game Summary
MARIAN (43) - Green 6 4-7 16, Faust 1 1-2 3, Fannick 0 0-0 0, Sofranko 1 5-6 7, Nemeth 2 1-2 7, Baranko 2 0-2 4, Krusinsky 1 4-11 6, Hill 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 15-30 43.
SHAMOKIN (37) - Schiccatano 1 0-0 3, Forbes 1 0-0 2, Pancher 2 0-0 4, Bonshock 6 4-6 16, Yacko 3 0-0 6, Pesarchick 2 0-0 6, Breslin 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 4-6 37.
3-point FGs: Marian - Nemeth 2. Shamokin - Schiccatano, Pesarchick 2.
MEADOWBROOK CHRISTIAN (18) - Adams 3 0-2 6, Yordy 1 2-4 5, Lynd 1 0-2 2, Bordner 0 0-0 0, Benfer 0 0-0 0, Burrows 2 1-4 5, Church 0 0-0 0, Plfeegor 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 3-12 18.
LOURDES (56) - Long 0 0-0 0, K. Komara 0 0-0 0, Kapushinski 0 0-0 0, Trell 4 0-0 9, Wheary 0 0-0 0, Khanna 0 0-0 0, N. Komara 2 1-1 5, Schultz 9 0-0 19, Getchey 5 0-0 14, Funk 1 1-2 3, DeLong 1 0-0 2, Pennypacker 2 0-0 4, Koshinskie 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 2-3 56.
3-point FGs: Meadowbrook Christian - Yordy. Lourdes - Trell, Schultz, Getchey 4.