OREFIELD - Minutes after her team won the District 11 Class AAA girls' basketball title, Tamaqua's Allison Updike was the first player to cut down some of the twine from one of the nets.

The move couldn't have been more fitting because Updike spent most of the afternoon in the paint, helping to continually shutdown Allentown Central Catholic's inside presence and collecting more than her share of rebounds in helping her team to a third consecutive overall District title and first AAA crown in a 46-42 overtime victory.Inserted in the paint throughout the afternoon as a defensive ploy to help neutralize Central Catholic's post duo of Kerry Kinek and Jenna Kocsis, Updike scored just five points but also grabbed 12 rebounds, handed out three assists and swished three of her team's final four points from the line.Recognized for her prowess as the defending State AA javelin champion that has earned her a ticket to the University of Georgia, along with being the school's all-time soccer scorer, Updike took her assignment and the magnitude of it in stride."Amy (Zehner) was going to front the big girls and my responsibility was to play the paint and make sure nobody got in," said Updike, who was second on the team in rebounds and third in scoring coming into the game. "That worked in the first half, but then they (Central Catholic) put their three-point shooter in the second half. It gave us a little havoc, but we pulled it together in the end."I figured I had to get on the boards and get the job done. And it worked out."Along with her individual accomplishments, Updike plans to relish her team's achievement of ending Central Catholic's streak of 11 consecutive District titles."This is good because I'm with my teammates and my best friends" said Updike. "We have been playing together since we were little in biddy ball. Maybe we won a title back then. I can't remember."It's huge because they had had won 11 consecutive championships. We came in as the underdog and no one really expected them to lose. But we just came out to play and didn't have any doubts."This is for all the hard work we have done and for our coaches."Tamaqua coach Joe Berezwick couldn't have asked for the game plan involving Updike and her close friend Zehner to work any better than it did. The defensive scheme limited Kinek and Koscis to seven baskets between them, only two after halftime."I want to credit my coaching staff on that," noted an elated Berezwick. "We talked about it late Wednesday night and even going into Thursday. We finally made our minds up collectively, and the girls bought into it."Allison's job was to play behind and Amy's job was to front. Those two have known each other since they were little. I know their relationship and with their chemistry, they would be as one."We knew it was risk and reward. Their three point shooter hit some shots as the game played out, but we were able to get back in that defense down the stretch. Maybe another game it doesn't pay off, but today it did."Zehner truly appreciated Updike's contributionsAllison has been doing a job on the boards all season," said Zehner. "She has been such as difference maker down there. We couldn't have done it without her."Berezwick also appreciated the effort from one of his team's most grittiest players. Updike suffered a temporarily bloodied nose when she received an elbow from Kinek down low early in overtime, but she shortly returned to the lineup."She's a warrior," added Berezwick. "There is a lot to say about her being here. She could be packing her bags up and worrying about her career as a javelin thrower, but she is a total team player. When it is time for practice to start, she is all basketball."She is a special kid and she has a big part on this team.She put her time in during the summer despite traveling all over the country with her javelin throws and with soccer. She is also a great student-athlete. Whatever is the type of athlete who can probably play any sport she wants."We're a team that's a puzzle and without her piece, the whole thing couldn't have happened."