Every Bulldog did her part on both ends and Jersey Shore used a dominant third quarter to break open a close game, then hold off a rally as it defeated Lewisburg, 57-51 in the District 4 Class AAAA semifinals. Cailyn Schall scored 18 points, Peyton Dincher 17 and Sophia Stover made seven steals as Jersey Shore (17-7) reached both its third straight District 4 Class AAAA championship and state tournament. The Bulldogs will play Central Columbia in the final again, while Lewisburg (18-6) faces Selinsgrove in the third-place game for the district’s final state berth.

“Coach said it best. He said we played like sisters,” Schall said after making six straight fourth quarter foul shots and dealing six assists. “We kind of chuckled, but we did play really well together and that’s kind of what got us through here. We played for each other.”

What a performance they delivered while doing so.

Dincher picked up her third foul early in the second quarter and coach Mike Schall took her out with Lewisburg leading 19-16 and more than five minutes remaining in the half. Instead of wilting, Jersey Shore pulled together, closed on a 10-5 run and built a two-point halftime lead it never relinquished.

Peyton Dincher of Jersey Shore puts up a shot against Lewisburg in Montgomery. Jersey Shore won 57-51. DAVE KENNEDY/For The Express

Those five minutes were a microcosm of the entire night. It was not about one or two players pulling the rope, but all the Bulldogs doing so together. Hannah Heaton scored nine points, Stover grabbed five rebounds and Avery DePasqua, Kylie Schall and freshman Jess Millbrand all hit key 3-pointers. Freshman Gracelyn Frantz added some quality minutes off the bench and Jersey Shore put all the pieces together which allowed it to again reach the district final.

“It was really great. Every player 1-10 contributed something,” Heaton said. “The girls off the bench gave us good minutes and we all just flowed really nice.”

“It’s the best team basketball on both sides of the ball we’ve played. We’re working on that confidence and that attitude with every single rep that we get,” Mike Schall said. “That run we were able to make at the end of the second quarter carried over into the third quarter.”

There, considering Lewisburg’s strength, Jersey Shore played its best quarter this season. The Bulldogs excelled in all facets, went on an 18-4 run and Millbrand’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer put it ahead, 44-28 entering the fourth quarter. Jersey Shore forced more turnovers (7) than it allowed shots (5) in the third quarter, three different players drained 3-pointers and Stover made four of her seven steals.

That momentum spilled into the fourth quarter and Heaton scored five straight points, banking in a 3-pointer which gave Jersey Shore a 49-33 advantage with 6 minutes, 40 seconds remaining.

Avery DePasqua of Jersey Shore reaches for a rebound against Lewisburg in Montgomery. Jersey Shore won 57-51. DAVE KENNEDY/For The Express

“It felt really good, but I couldn’t do it without my teammates,” Heaton said. “They were finding me.”

Jersey Shore and Lewisburg have played a series of close games over the last four years, but at that point, the Bulldogs were able to briefly flip the script. It was a combination of outstanding offensive efficiency and text-book defense coming together.

Jersey Shore cut off the post for most of the game and also prevented dynamic point guard Maddy Moyers from frequently getting downhill. And the defense really picked up in the third quarter, making it hard for Lewisburg to put up any shot, let alone close-range ones. It was everyone knowing their responsibility, communicating and battling coming together at the perfect time.

Defense turned into offense and a Dincher runner capped a 10-0 blitz in the third quarter’s first 2:07 which put it ahead, 36-24. Ava Motto responded with a 3-pointer, but Jersey Shore allowed just one point over the quarter’s final four minutes while pushing the lead to 16 points.

“We worked on it this practice week,” Heaton said. “It’s about playing strong and trusting your teammates and getting done what needs done.”

Cailyn Schall of Jersey Shore puts up a shot against Lewisburg in Montgomery. Jersey Shore won 57-51. DAVE KENNEDY/For The Express

That included thriving after Lewisburg made a valiant fourth quarter run and threatened to author quite a comeback story. Moyers (16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) scored seven quick points, Addie Wuerdeman and Motto (15 points, 6 rebounds) hit 3-pointers. Motto’s fourth trey suddenly had Lewisburg trailing just 49-43 midway through the fourth quarter.

Again, though, when adversity struck, Jersey Shore put the pieces back together. Like she did a year ago when she buried two clutch free throws in the closing seconds of a thrilling semifinal win against Shamokin, Cailyn Schall answered the bell.

This time, she was fouled attempting a 3-pointer. Barely hitting the rim every time, Schall made all three free throws and settled Jersey Shore while giving it a 52-43 advantage. The Bulldogs took from there and a Schall assist to Dincher (6 rebounds, 3 assists) as well as three more foul shots had them ahead, 56-44 with 53 seconds left.

“We’ve been focusing on foul shots. We know foul shots are going to be big in big games and that’s been a big point of emphasis,” Cailyn Schall said. “It helped us weather the storm.”

“That was huge. She was pretty poised. She works hard to be in those moments, and she wanted the ball in that moment,” Mike Schall said. “We want them all to want the ball in those situations. That’s what it’s going to take to have the opportunity to compete for district gold. That’s what it’s going to take to try and win district gold.”

Peyton Dincher of Jersey Shore drains a 3 point shot against Lewisburg in Montgomery. Jersey Shore won 57-51. DAVE KENNEDY/For The Express

Lewisburg never stopped fighting, literally going hard until the final second with Moyers making a last-second steal and layup. It was not about the Dragons playing a bad game Tuesday; just about Jersey Shore playing a great one.

Motto continued building on her breakout season and helped the Dragons turn a five-point first quarter deficit into a three-point second quarter advantage, scoring eight of her 15 points during that time. Teagan Osunde added seven points, and seven rebounds and Wuerdeman drained two 3-pointers for Lewisburg which is seeking a third straight state tournament appearance.

“It’s always a great game and a battle when we play Lewisburg,” Mike Schall said. “They kept punching. They fought back and we handled that decently.”

JERSEY SHORE (57)

Peyton Dincher 6 2-2 17, Cailyn Schall 3 10-11 18, Sophia Stover 2 0-0 4, Avery DePasqua 1 0-0 3, Hannah Heaton 4 0-0 9, Kylie Schall 1 0-0 3, Gracelyn Frantz 0 0-0 0, Jess Millbrand 1 0-0 3. Totals 18 12-13 57.

Cailyn Schall of Jersey Shore puts up a shot against Lewisburg in Montgomery. Jersey Shore won 57-51. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

LEWISBURG (51)

Maddy Moyers 6 2-4 16, Teagan Osunde 3 1-2 7, Ava Motto 5 1-2 15, Addie Wuerdeman 2 0-0 6, Addy Shedleski 0 0-0 0, Faridah Aboueid 2 0-0 5, Lauren Schwartz 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 4-8 51.

Jersey Shore      14 12 18 13–57

Lewisburg   14 10 4 23–51

3-pointers: Jersey Shore 9 (Dincher 3, Ca. Schall 2, DePasqua, Heaton, K. Schall, Millbrand); Lewisburg 9 (Motto 4, Moyers 2, Wuerdeman 2, Aboueid).

Records: Jersey Shore 17-7. Lewisburg 18-6.