In fact, this one might be a best seller among all.

An entire crowd watching her, and the team’s championship fate in her hands, Miner calmly drained three straight clutch free throws with 0.4 seconds remaining. Those shots vaulted her team to a thrilling and stunning, 42-41 Mid-Penn championship win against Muncy at Frank Lupacchino Court.

Northwest erased a four-point deficit in the final 14.5 seconds and repeated as league champions, edging Muncy for a second straight season.

“I just took a deep breath and shot like I know how to and they sunk in,” Miner said. “It felt so good.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Rosie Zalonis (3) lets the ball go out of bounds to gain possession during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game against Northwest at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.

Northwest (18-5) rallied from a six-point halftime deficit and avenged a regular season loss against Muncy (19-4), again becoming the only Mid-Penn team to defeat it this season.

Arheya Williams scored off an offensive putback with 14.5 seconds remaining and Northwest forced a turnover soon after. Muncy nearly went the final 10 seconds without surrendering a shot, but Miner worked herself free in the right corner and let it fly in the final second.

As she did so, a Muncy defender fouled Miner. The shot was off the mark, but Miner went to the line. There was a lot of noise throughout the gym, but Miner heard nothing.

Only a sophomore, Miner looked like a player who been in tense situations like these her entire life.

Barely hitting rim, Miner made it look easy. Her third free throw let out a massive cheer along the Northwest bench and fan section and the Rangers celebrated a thrilling championship seconds later as Muncy did not have enough time to launch a desperation shot.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Rosie Zalonis (3) shoots past Northwest's Callie Moyer (15) during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.

“The sound doesn’t really bother me when I’m focusing on the basket. When I get on the foul line it’s take a deep breath, calm down and shoot my shot,” said Miner, whose cousins Josh and Ryan helped the Northwest boys reach last year’s 2A state quarterfinals. “We won the Mid-Penn last year and it was the same girls coming back, so winning it with them again just felt so good.”

As exhilarating as the win was for Northwest, it was an equally gut-wrenching defeat for Muncy. It looked like the West Division champions were about to secure the crown which eluded them a year ago, going ahead, 41-37 following three Rosie Zalonis free throws with 36.5 seconds left.

But it was not to be. A layup was just off the mark which would have made it a six-point game and Williams’s big rebound, and score kept hope alive for Northwest before Miner played the hero.

As frustrating as the loss was, Muncy has been here before. A year ago, Northwest defeated it in the Mid-Penn final and the Indians regrouped, capturing a second straight District 4 Class AA championship. Both are favored in their district quarterfinal games, so a rematch could be looming in the semifinals.

One opportunity closed, but another big one beckons.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Rosie Zalonis (3) looks to pass around Northwest's Areya Williams (25) during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.

“That’s what I said to them afterward, ‘Remember last year,'” Muncy coach Craig Weaver Sr. said. “We lost the Mid-Penn championship and then we turned around and won the district title. There is more out there that we’re going after.”

There certainly were encouraging signs, too. Muncy played one of its best offensive halves during the first half. Each team made six 3-pointers and three each by Emma McCormick and Anna Zalonis had Muncy ahead, 30-24. McCormick continued her late-season offensive surge, scoring a game-high 14 points and Zalonis had nine. Rosie Zalonis dealt seven assists, and Alexis McKeta added two steals.

McCormick opened the fourth quarter with her fourth 3-pointer, breaking a tie and putting Muncy ahead, 35-32. Ava Eyer then hit three free throws and Muncy was up, 38-32 before a Miner 3-pointer and Ashlyn Hermanofski drive made it a one-point game.

It was the third straight hard-fought game Muncy participated in this week and that might provide a boost entering districts where Muncy will be a No. 2 seed and host Cowanesque Valley.

“The Lewisburg game, Montoursville game and the intensity of this game can do nothing but help us,” Weaver said. “I hope they take that experience and learn from it. They played hard and gave themselves an opportunity to win the game.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Alexis McKeta (15) reaches for a rebound around Northwest's Natalia Ninoti (24) during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.

Ava Ruckle scored 13 first-half points and Natalia Ninotti had 12 for the Rangers. It felt like a Steph Curry vs Larry Bird 3-point contest in the first half as both teams drained six in a wildly entertaining stretch.

Both teams cooled in the second half and Northwest was dealt a huge blow when Hermanofski was injured late in the game. Instead of wilting, the Rangers pushed forward. Call it a tribute to a senior leader as Hermanofski will now graduate as a three-time league champion.

“She’s a senior; she’s the leader of our team. She’s someone who holds everyone accountable for their mistakes and everything they do well,” Miner said. “Just knowing she got hurt, it was something where we all wanted to win for her.”

NORTHWEST (42)

Ali Miner 1 4-5 7, Ashlyn Hermanofski 1 0-0 2, Ava Ruckle 5 0-0 13, Natalia Ninotti 5 0-0 12, Arheya Williams 2 0-0 4, Callie Moyer 0 1-2 1, Hartley Crawford 1 0-0 3. Totals 5-7 42.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Rosie Zalonis (3) brings the ball downcourt around Northwest's defense during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.

MUNCY (41)

Ava Eyer 3 5-8 11, Rosie Zalonis 2 3-4 7, Anna Zalonis 3 0-0 9, Emma McCormick 5 0-0 14, Alexis McKeta 0 0-4 0, Hailey Ganoe 0 0-0 0, Abby Neidermyer 0 0-0 0. Totals 13 8-16 41.

Northwest 16 8 8 10–42

Muncy 19 11 2 9–41

3-pointers: Northwest 7 (Ruckle 3, Ninotti 2, Miner, Crawford); Muncy 7 (McCormick 4, A. Zalonis 3).

Records: Northwest 18-5. Muncy 19-4.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Alexis McKeta (15) is fouled on her way to the basket during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game against Northwest at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Muncy's Ava Eyer (5) reaches to block a shot by Northwest's Natalia Ninoti (24) during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Northwest's Ashlyn Hermanofsk shoots over the head of Muncy's Emma McCormick (14) during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Northwest's Areya Williams reaches in to block a shot by Muncy's Alexis McKeta (15) during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Northwest's Ali Miller (23) shoots during the girls Mid-Penn West championship game against Muncy at St. John Neumann on Saturday. Northwest won 42-41.