Naazir Lowe of Williamsport drives to the hoop against Central Catholic during the Christmas Tournament at Williamsport High School. Central Catholic won 48-26. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Pittsburgh Central Catholic players held a tournament championship trophy as parents snapped photos at the Magic Dome Tuesday afternoon.

Williamsport players did not pose for photos, but coach Allen Taylor wants them to hold on to the memory of that game. Central Catholic showcased its experience, physicality and balance, capturing the Williamsport Tournament championship, defeating Williamsport, 48-26.

Now Williamsport’s goal is turning a negative into a positive moving forward.

“I tell these guys all the time, don’t let failures go to waste,” Taylor said. “Learn from them; learn from all of them.”

Williamsport (4-4) has done a good job thus far in that department and won three of four games entering the final, including a 67-35 semifinal demolition of eight-win Thurgood Marshall Academy. Central Catholic, a 2025 Class AAAAAA state qualifier, was a different beast and led from early on, frustrating the Millionaires with suffocating defense which forced 22 turnovers and allowed just 10 field goals.

The effort was there, but the execution was not. Williamsport led 4-2 in the opening minutes, but was down 24-12 at halftime and could not stop the bleeding in the fourth quarter when Central Catholic pushed a 15-point lead to 22.

Still, in the big picture, nothing was lost Tuesday. It’s all about learning and progressing throughout the regular season to try and get where one wants to go by the postseason. In that regard, a team which has three new starters from a year ago, could use this game to keep climbing the ladder later this season.

“It was a good experience for us. We have not allowed a failure to go to waste,” Taylor said. “This game will make us better for the rest of the season.”

A bright spot in defeat was defense. Coming off its best defensive showing this year against Thurgood Marshall, Williamsport again made things difficult for long stretches against Central Catholic.

The biggest problem was its own offense. Turnovers frequently led to points and/or prime Vikings’ scoring opportunities.

Williamsport forced nine turnovers itself in the first half but often turned the ball back over seconds later. The Millionaires were limited to just three field goal attempts in the second quarter but its defense kept them in the game, trailing by 12. They also had at least four turnovers in each quarter and did not score more than eight points in any.

Foul trouble also was an issue and offered Williamsport another learning opportunity. Some of the foul issues came from retaliatory reactions, letting the players understand that they must respond with their own physical play within the confine of the rules.

Sure, the Millionaires would have rather learned via victory but sometimes a defeat can unlock the key to success, a story which so many championship teams from all sports at all levels can attest to.

“They’re playing hard. That’s the most important thing. Now we have to get them to play smart, so we just have to do a better job coaching them,” Taylor said. “At first, they weren’t playing hard. They were playing but they weren’t competing. Now they’re competing, so now we have to get them to compete and play smart. They’ll learn.”

Williamsport starts two seniors, but Ethan Chilson missed the last two years with injury, so in a sense this rotation is almost all underclassmen, including freshmen Mekhi Gaston and Saleem Overton. Against a rugged early-season schedule, Williamsport has shown some exciting pieces.

It’s just a matter of putting them together. Flashes came through against Central Catholic with Williams scoring eight points, grabbing six rebounds and blocking five shots. Kason Ulmer pulled down six boards and Gaston threw down a highlight-reel one-hand dunk in the fourth quarter. Naazir Lowe dealt three assists and seven different players made steals.

Williamsport also cut a 21-point deficit to 15 entering the fourth, so the fight is there. The potential is, too, and regardless of Tuesday’s result, that makes the near future exciting.

“I saw some good things. This group has a huge upside,” Taylor said. “The potential with this group of kids that we have is really high. I like it.”

CENTRAL CATHOLIC (48)

Alex Betancourt-Jones 1 0-0 2, Owen Campfield 1 0-0 2, Danny Haller 2 0-0 4, Enzo Khalil 4 2-5 10, Christian Williams 5 2-3 16, Jack Stoessel 4 0-0 10, Ryan Haller 2 0-0 4. Totals 20 4-8 48.

WILLIAMSPORT (26)

Tevin Williams 3 2-2 8, Kason Ulmer 3 0-1 6, Naazir Lowe 1 0-0 3, Quincy Williams 0 0-0 0, Ethan Chilson 1 1-2 4, Mekhi Gaston 1 0-2 2, Saleem Overton 1 1-2 3. Totals 10 4-9 26.

C Catholic 12 12 11 13–48

Williamsport 6 6 8 6–26

3-pointers: Central Catholic 4 (Williams 2, Stoessel 2); Williamsport 2 (Lowe, Chilson).

Records: Central Catholic 7-1. Williamsport 4-4.