When two top basketball teams collide, the margin of difference is often very slim.
In the fourth meeting of the season between Peters Township and Thomas Jefferson, the game came down to the last four possessions.
The Indians scored points on each of theirs while the Jaguars missed on good looks.
In the end, Peters Township picked up a rare four-game season sweep over a team the caliber of Thomas Jefferson by coming back to win, 57-53, in the PIAA Class 5A second round Wednesday.
“It’s been a hallmark of this group all year, seemingly when it gets tough, we play our best,” Peters Township coach Steve Limberiou said. “That to me is a sign we have really tough kids, and we do. We have a refuse-to-lose mentality. We have great leadership with the girls, and it starts there.”
Thomas Jefferson led 26-24 at halftime. Peters Township only led twice in the first half.
The Indians built their biggest lead in their third quarter, 35-30, before the Jaguars regrouped and finished the third on a 16-4 run to lead 46-39.
Peters Township remained confident and slowly started to take control in the final quarter.
“I think we’re a really resilient group,” Peters Township senior Natalie Wetzel said. “We don’t want this season to end, so you have to play as hard as you can or your season is ending. I really don’t think any of us want this to end, so we’re going to give everything we have and find a way to win.”
The Indians fought back to tie the game 50-50 before Jaguars junior Riley McCabe hit a 3-pointer to put TJ up, 53-50.
They were the final points for Thomas Jefferson.
“You just never feel good playing defense against them,” Limberiou said. “Even when you’re playing well, (Kaylee) D’Angelo and (Maggie) Spell can get you. We did what it takes in the end. Taking them off the 3-point line is very important because it’s hard to make layups on us.”
Wetzel scored to pull Peters Township to within a point with 1:44 left, then the Indians defense went to work.
In the Jaguars final four possessions before a desperate heave at the end, TJ missed three lay-ins and threw away an inbounds pass.
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“We’ve been able to come back before, so we have to really lock in defensively,” Wetzel said. “It all starts on defense, and once we’re getting stops, our offense will kick in.”
Meanwhile, on the final four possessions for the WPIAL champions, Peters Township scored on a Wetzel lay-in and hit on 5 of 6 free throws by Wetzel, who put the Indians up. Junior Brianna Morreale also hit two shots late from the charity stripe to ice the victory.
“They’re disappointed,” Thomas Jefferson coach Matt Gould said of his team afterward. “I thought we gave the world three good basketball games out of four against Peters Township, so we’re proud of that. We think we’re just as good a team and we could beat them, so we’re certainly disappointed.”
The sophomore D’Angelo led the Jaguars with 17 points while the junior Spell had 15 points. The two combined for only two points in the fourth quarter when TJ was outscored 18-7.
Thomas Jefferson ends up with a 22-6 record with four of its losses coming at the hands of Peters Township.
Peters Township improves to 25-3 and will face District 10 champion Cathedral Prep on Saturday in a 5A state quarterfinal.
Wetzel, the Miami of Florida commit, led the Indians with 27 points while Morreale added 13 points.
“I sound redundant, but this is as good as it gets in the state,” Limberiou said. “I didn’t want this to be the last game I coach (Wetzel) and the other seniors. I hope I get all three games left to coach to her because I don’t take it for granted.”