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Pittston Area’s Marley O’Brien, left, looks to pass around North Penn’s Jess McKenzie in a PIAA Class 4A first round game at Wyoming Area High School in Exeter on Friday night.

Pittston Area’s Liz Waleski, center, drives to the hoop between North Penn defenders Mia Melchior, left, and Bri Hewlett in a PIAA Class 4A first round game at Wyoming Area High School in Exeter on Friday night.

Pittston Area’s Jamie Chisdock looks for an opening in the North Penn defense in a PIAA Class 4A first round game at Wyoming Area High School in Exeter on Friday night.

Pittston Area’s Allie Barber shoots ahead of North Penn’s Taylor Thames in a PIAA Class 4A first round game at Wyoming Area High School in Exeter on Friday night.

PA’s Jamie Chisdock, left, fights for a loose ball against North Penn defenders.

PA’s Taryn Ashby, left, looks to pass ahead of North Penn’s Taylor Putnam in a PIAA Class 4A first round game at Wyoming Area High School in Exeter on Friday night.

EXETER — It was a season they’ll never forget.

Pittston Area’s girls basketball seniors Allie Barber, Liz Waleski and Jordan Fritz were instrumental in the Patriots’ recent run into the state tournament.

With a 53-37 loss to North Penn in the PIAA Class AAAA first round, the Patriots finished off their best season in school history. And a pair of seniors were the catalysts for the past four years.

Both Barber and Waleski notched the 1,000-point milestone this season. Together, they helped the Patriots win the school’s first District 2 championship – the 1978 boys owns the previous district title. It was the first girls basketball championship of any kind.

“Allie and Liz have been with me since seventh grade,” Pittston Area coach Kathy Healey said. “It’s going to be hard not to coach with them on the floor. They brought our program to new heights and hopefully we’ll stay there.”

Although Healey losing a trio of her leaders, she knows she has a young team for the years to come.

“We are super excited and we’ll get back to work,” Healey said. “These girls will have to fill the roles of Allie, Liz and Jordan.”

North Penn came into the state tournament as the seventh-place finisher in District 1. Coach Maggie deMarteleire said it was their defense that got them there. It was their defense that will keep them going.

The Patriots struggled early and often to find a flow on offense, leading to 23 turnovers on the night.

“They played hard and they came to play,” Healey said. “They took us out of our rhythm. I think it was their defensive pressure that was the key to the game.”

Pittston Area sharpshooters Liz Waleski and Taryn Ashby struggled to get a shot up with the defensive pressure. Waleski, however, finished her senior season with a team-high 15 points and pulled down six rebounds.

The Patriots, down just 19-14 at the half, were still in position to make a run. Then the third quarter started.

North Penn center Makaela Guiliani scored North Penn’s first six points of the third quarter to take the steam out of Pittston Area.

“We struggled finishing at the basket in the first half,” deMarteleire said. “Makaela came out in the second half and set the tone. Overall, I was just very pleased.”

Another bucket by North Penn guard Sam Carangi opened up an 11-point lead.

The Patriots were able to cut the lead to just nine right before the final quarter. Waleski drove and got a basket with less than eight seconds left. Thames then launched her desperation shot, which banked in off the backboard to extend North Penn’s lead to 12 heading to the fourth.

“It was tough,” Healey said. “They are very aggressive and they would cut off our back doors. They are a very good team.”

Carangi finished with a game-high 17 points. Guiliani finished with a double-double, going for 11 points and 11 rebounds.

North Penn will go on to face the winner of Archbishop Carroll and Spring-Ford, which is scheduled for Saturday.