Pleasant Valley and Pocono Mountain East both entered Friday's match-up in unfamiliar scenarios.

The Lady Bears had only one win in the Mountain Valley Conference, while the Cardinals entered with an unblemished 3-0 record in the league.However, it was PV that rose to the challenge and came out with a 54-44 win, handing East their first loss. The victory also allowed the Bears to get back on track and take another step toward their goal of reaching the playoffs."We've not been in this type of position for a few years," Cardinal head coach Rose Haller said. "Coming in here 3-0, we're the team that's on top of the heap. And even though we have some seniors that play, they're more like freshmen when it comes to this type of big game atmosphere."Pleasant Valley is typically in the playoffs and they know what to expect."The Lady Bears and head coach Nadia Gauronsky handled the game with more composure and stuck to the game plan. They raced to an early lead, utilizing their strengths, and held on throughout for the big win."I give the credit to the girls because they did realize the adjustments that (the Cardinals) made, made their own changes and it worked out in our favor," Gauronsky said. "I think we might have gotten a little gassed at one point, but recovered nicely."East made a run that cut a 40-22 Bear lead with two minutes left in the third frame down to 42-37 with 5:27 to play. Freshman guard Khyasia Caldwell scored seven in the run, while center Alpreshia Parker scored six.That's when Gauronsky gathered the troops, calmed them and reinforced the game plan."This is a big morale win because the girls fell into a lull state and they needed to pull themselves out of it," Gauronsky said.Two Keri Dekmar charity tosses and a Kiki Russel layup padded the Lady Bear lead back to nine a minute later, and the foul line paid off down the stretch. Dzana Krcic, Russel and Julia Craig combined to go 6-of-9 during the crucial stretch to maintain the advantage and garner the well-rounded victory."I don't think we came here mentally prepared to play," Haller said. "We're just trying to get the girls to recognize that the hardest part about districts is getting there and tonight they got a taste of that against a good team."Three players reached double digits for the winners. Mackenzie Dorney and Julia Craig nailed 11 while Dekmar followed right behind with 10.Parker was a force for the 'Cards, tallying a game-high 17. Caldwell chipped in 13.The winners held a distinct edge on the glass (32-25).The Lady Bears also won the JV contest, 50-22, as Mackenzie Borger scored 12 and Shana Keefer added 11.POCONO MOUNTAIN EASTHaller 1-0-1-2, Caldwell 6-1-3-13, Lavelle 1-2-2-4, Mader 0-0-0-0, Ruggerio 2-2-2-7, Parker 6-5-8-17, Reisenwitz 0-1-4-1, Smith 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 16-11-17-44.PLEASANT VALLEYMeckes 1-2-3-4, Dekmar 4-2-4-10, Krcic 2-1-2-5, Miller 3-0-0-6, Russel 2-1-4-5, Dorney 5-1-1-11, Craig 3-4-7-11, Fields 1-0-2-2. TOTALS: 21-11-25-54.PM East 5 11 14 14 - 44Pleasant Vy. 12 15 13 14 - 54Three pointers: PM East - Ruggerio 1; Pleasant Valley - Craig 1.