The game started with a hard-fought Neumann lead made in part by Neumann’s Bre Nixon and Kaydance Meixel. Possessions flew by as Neumann seemed to determine the pace of movement.

“We planned on pushing the tempo. We wanted to press a little bit, get some turnovers, get those easy transition baskets and layups,” Montoursville coach Travis Heap said.

The first quarter breezed by and ended with Neumann ahead 11-9, but after Montoursville stepped on the court with a new vigor and took the lead 20-11, Neumann would not hold the lead again. With some hustle and key shots from Montoursville’s Marleigh Bainbridge and Emily George, the second quarter ended with a 10-point lead (23-13).

“We came out very slow in the first quarter and we kind of turned the pressure up in the second and extended the lead there,” Heaps said. “That’s when we pushed the tempo, which was exactly what we talked about yesterday.”

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondebnt Montoursville's Trinity Belle (3) reaches for a rebound in the second quarter.

The second half continued at Montoursville’s tempo, with Heap calling a timeout to set expectations going forward.

“Mostly, we talked about working the ball on offense. When they collapsed, we got some wide open shots,” Heap said. “The timeout was very positive to keep the energy up, keep working the ball, keep playing together as a team, and really extending that lead, which we did.”

The game’s top scorer was Neumann’s Bre Nixon with 17, followed closely by Montoursville’s Marleigh Bainbridge with 15. Close behind were Montoursville’s Kayleigh Sheleman and Trinity Belle, each with 11. Emily George had a double-double with 10 points, 10 rebounds and four steals for Montoursville, Sheleman grabbed nine rebounds, Bainbridge had five assists and three steals and Trinity Belle had seven rebounds.

“Sheleman played a great game, high-low. She worked the basket and inside and really got the layups, and got to the foul line,” Heap said. “George struggled, and we challenged her in the time out to be the leader, the senior, that we need, and she really stepped it up in that second quarter and helped us extend that lead.”

Neumann wouldn’t take their offense lying down, as Neumann’s Kallee Johnson and Brooklyn Clabaugh kept applying defensive pressure while they and Bre Nixo kept an active offense, bringing the deficit to 14 points at its lowest before it expanded again to 45-26 by the end of the third quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondebnt Montoursville's Kaleigh Sheleman (42) shoots around St. John Neumann's Kallee Johnson (3) in the third quarter.

Unfortunately for Neumann, Montoursville’s pressure stayed strong enough to only push that lead further. After Neumann’s 35th point, Montoursville kept going and ended the game with a 23-point lead.

Montoursville will welcome Williamsport on Saturday riding off their success. St. John Neumann will try to turn that loss into a victory as they head to Bucktail on Monday.

“We’re hoping to keep our playoff hopes alive. Going forward on Saturday, it’s a single game elimination from here on out,” Heap said. “We should celebrate the game, but if we want to make it to the playoffs we have to focus on the big game with Williamsport on Saturday.”

Montoursville 58, St. John Neumann 35

MONTOURSVILLE (58)

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondebnt Montoursville's Trinity Belle (3) shoots around St. John Neumann's Savana Smith (13) in the second quarter.

S. Kuntz 1 0-0 2, T. Belle 4 3-4 11, M. Sweeley 0 1-2 1, D. Campbell 2 0-0 4, R. Tucker 1 0-0 2, E. George 3 1-3 10, E. Kehrer 1 0-0 2, M. Bainbridge 3 3-3 13, K. Sheleman 5 1-3 11. Totals 20 9-15 58.

ST. JOHN NEUMANN (35)

K. Meixel 2 1-1 5, K. Johnson 1 4-6 6, B. Clabaugh 1 2-6 4, H. Meixel 1 1-2 3, S. Smith 0 0-0 0, B. Nixon 0 2-4 17, A. Clabaugh 0 0-0 0. Totals 5 10-19 35.

Motoursville 9 18 18 13-58

Neumann 11 5 10 9-35

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondebnt Montoursville's Kaleigh Sheleman (42) shoots around St. John Neumann's Alexa Clabaugh (34) in the second quarter.

3-point goals: Neumann 5 (Nixon 5), Neumann 3 (George 1, Bainbridge 2)

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondebnt Montoursville's Trinity Belle (3) drives around St. John Neumann's Savana Smith (13) in the second quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent St. John Neumann's Brooklyn Clabaugh (4) gets a hand on the ball as Montoursville's Hannah Lorson (42) shoots in the second quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondebnt Montoursville's Marissa Swelley (11) and St. John Neumann's Alexa Calbaugh (34) battle for a lose ball in the first quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent St. John Neumann's Bre Nixon (14) shoots around Montoursville's Trinity Belle (3) in the first quarter.

MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Montoursville's Marissa Sweeley (11) and St. John Neumann's Haylee Meixel(12) battle for a lose ball in the first quarter.