As Williamsport made a fourth-quarter rally, Lewisburg point guard Grace Kelleher brought the ball upcourt and raised her left hand. The message was clear.

Relax.

Lewisburg did just that Wednesday at Williamsport and played near-flawless basketball over the final four minutes. The Dragons ran lots of time off the clock, earned repeated trips to the foul line and constantly cashed in as they pulled away for a 54-44 win. Lewisburg hit six straight free throws during that time, made eight after Williamsport had cut an 11-point deficit to four and did not turn the ball over as it won its 11th straight and while continuing one of the best starts in program history.

“We finished it well. We got into our offensive sets and we moved the ball,” Lewisburg coach Phil Stamm said. “We forced them to put us on the line and the girls made the shots when it counted.”

It was a repeat of a formula Lewisburg (12-1) has used all season. The Dragons play a demanding schedule and have been in some tough games, but an experienced team with five seniors and a three-year starting point guard continues handling those situations well. Kelleher scored a game-high 17 points and made 11 of 13 shots at the foul line. Bethany Rippon (13 points) made six straight foul shots over the final four minutes as Lewisburg never flinched after Williamsport turned up the pressure.

“The five seniors are incredible. They add so much to our team,” Kelleher said. “Bethany was really clutch and did a real good job as usual. Everyone stepped up tonight and it was really cool to see all the seniors coming through again.”

Williamsport (3-12) built an 18-13 second-quarter lead but Lewisburg took a 23-22 halftime lead and never trailed again. The Dragons efficiently ran their offense and reached a season-high in points while attacking the basket, working for good shots and earning trips to the line. Lewisburg made 22 of 28 shots at the foul line and received steady contributions from an eight-player rotation. Kelleher made six free throws in the first quarter and five players scored in the second when Lewisburg went ahead to stay.

A Cassie West 3-pointer gave Lewisburg its biggest lead, 39-28, and symbolized the team’s effectiveness. Lewisburg worked the ball around, inside and outside, resulting in West receiving a wide-open look. Williamsport rallied, but the Dragons, who reached states last year despite suffering a rash of injuries, kept executing and never lost control.

“That’s been a huge difference in our success this season. Having everyone healthy and being able to knock down shots and make free throws and play really good defense is big,” Kelleher said. “We’re doing a really good job.”

“We have five seniors so that helps. We have experience,” Stamm said. “Some of these teams have talent and good players, but I know when they’re freshmen and sophomores sometimes in certain moments they don’t make decisions you hope they do. Fortunately, our girls made really good decisions.”

Williamsport looked like a different team than the one that scored just 20 points in Monday’s loss at Warrior Run. The Millionaires attacked early, built a 14-10 lead after a quarter and stretched it to five midway through the second. Center Samiyah Little (seven points, nine rebounds) and Shelly Floyd (eight points, seven rebounds) were giving Lewisburg problems inside, but Little missed the last four minutes of the half in foul trouble and most of the third quarter on the bench after picking up her fourth foul.

When Little and Floyd were together, the offense opened up. Lewisburg was forced to collapse its zone and Katelyn Wilson pounced, hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 12 points. Jada Whaley added 10 points and four assists. It was not the result Williamsport wanted, but it showed why it could be strong moving forward.

“Samiyah is a difference-maker. If she can stop fouling be dangerous. If I can keep her on the floor for an entire game our record is not what it is,” Williamsport coach Demarr Wright said. “I told them you have to keep feeding that ball inside. Those two should eat all day long inside and score, score, score. That’s going to open up jump shots for the guards.”

Williamsport pulled within eight points entering the fourth quarter and Wilson continued her shooting clinic, hitting her fourth 3-pointer to make it 43-39 with 6 minutes, 25 seconds remaining. Rippon went 8 for 8 at the foul line and both she and Emily Sholly combined to make three straight free throws, making it a seven-point game. The next time, Lewisburg had the ball it held it for 76 seconds before Sholly was fouled going up for a layup. It was more of the same on the next three possessions as Rippon and Kelleher made five straight free throws and put the game away.

Lewisburg also played strong defense over those last six minutes and Jamie Fedorjaka made a game-high five steals. Megan O’Hara grabbed five rebounds and provided an early spark when she hit two baseline jumpers. It was another strong team effort for a group that continues showing why it is one of District 4’s premier teams.

“Its amazing. It’s a lot different than last year,” Kelleher said. “It’s really cool to see everything turn around and see everyone healthy and playing well. It’s a lot of fun.”

Lewisburg (54)

Grace Kelleher 3 11-13 17, Emily Sholly 3 2-4 8, Bethany Rippon 2 8-8 13, Megan O’Hara 3 1-1 7, Jamie Fedorjaka 2 0-0 4, Erin Hilkert 0 0-2 0, Allie Reed 0 0-0 0, Cassie West 2 0-0 5. Totals 15 22-28 54.

Williamsport (44)

Jada Whaley 4 1-3 10, Samiyah Little 3 1-4 7, Shelly Floyd 3 2-4 8, Gabby Thomas 0 1-2 1, Katelyn Wilson 4 0-0 12, Emily Pardee 1 1-1 3, Whitney Felix 1 0-0 3, Sophia Erb 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 6-13 44.

Lewisburg 10 13 18 13–54

Williamsport 14 8 11 11–44

3-point goals: Lewisburg 2 (Rippon 1, West 1); Williamsport 6 (Wilson 4, Whaley 1, Felix 1).

JV score: Lewisburg 34-33.

Records: Lewisburg (12-1), Williamsport (3-12).