POTTSVILLE - Two down. One to go.

Step 1 was to qualify for the Schuylkill League girls basketball playoffs. Jim Thorpe locked that up weeks ago.

Step 2 was to get an opening-round win and play for a championship. The Olympians accomplished that Tuesday.

Step 3, to beat North Schuylkill and capture a league championship - the toughest level thus far in this unorthodox COVID-19 season - now awaits. Jim Thorpe will get that opportunity Friday night.

After running Mahanoy Area into the ground en route to an impressive semifinal 70-33 victory Tuesday at hallowed Martz Hall - better known to the hoops junkies as The Mecca - the stage is set for the Olympians to try and settle a score with the Spartans, who a year ago wrested the league title away from them.

Playing on the big stage is something that 6-0 junior post player Oliva Smales is looking forward to doing once again.

“We wanted to get to the league championship for the third year in a row,” Smales said after a monster night in which she pulled down 17 rebounds and poured in a dozen points.

The one-two scoring punch of Skyler Searfoss and Leila Hurley are a coaches’ dream, and both juniors came out smoking hot and finished with 19 points, while fast-rising sophomore Mackenzie Yuhas collected 10 points as part of a balanced attack.

“We wanted to get out early, and credit Oliva Smelas for helping us do that,” said first-year coach Nadia Gauronsky.

Indeed, that was the case as the Olympians used their outside quickness and their “bigs” inside to force the Golden Bears into uncharacteristic turnovers. Mahanoy Area managed just five field goals in the first half.

“We wanted to send a message early,” said Searfoss.

Did they ever, as Thorpe was on fire, going ahead 10-0 as Searfoss hit three straight baskets while Hurly and Smelas both added a deuce, before the Bears finally got on the board thanks to their best overall player, Claudia Clark.

When Meghan Macleary sank the Area’s second basket, that wasn’t enough to dent the deficit, but merely just a tease as it was all downhill and all Jim Thorpe.

With Smelas sucking up missed shots and getting six rebounds and scoring six points in the first quarter, Thorpe built a 21-11 lead.

“Credit Oliva Smelas, she did a wonderful job on the boards,” Gauronsky said. “She does it all. She leads our team in assists, she’s a vocal leader, she rebounds, she sees the court ... all the little things.”

Thorpe kept the hammer on the Bears, never letting up in the second quarter.

Hurley buried a big-time trey, Yuhas put back a rebound bucket, and when Searfoss scored off a missed shot the waters were gushing heavily on Mahanoy Area, which trailed 28-11 with 6:28 on the first-half clock.

By the time the half rolled around, Thorpe was leading 40-17. It expanded the margin to 47-20 at the onset of the third quarter. At that point, the only question that remained was what the final numbers would be.

“It’s going to be a dogfight Friday night. North Schuylkill is a great team. We just have to come out with our A-game,” said Searfoss.

GOT TO LOVE HER … Thorpe’s junior swing player Leah Snisky didn’t light it up offensively, nor did she have big numbers in the rebounding department, but the super-athletic player is very noticeable in other phases of the game.

I’VE GOT IT … Oliva Smelas seemed to grab every loose ball underneath. She has a gift to see the floor, distribute the ball, too. Ditto for her sister, Haley Smelas.

D-E-F-E-N-S-E … It was ever so evident by Thorpe throughout the game, as it kept a sound Mahanoy Area team off balance from the opening tip, resulting in the Bears shooting 11-for-42 from the field. Clark, who is a dynamite player for the Area and the team’s top scorer, finished with 10, as did teammate Haley Moss.

EXCITEMENT …”I’m so happy to be here and to coach a team like Jim Thorpe, I just think the world of the girls.” said Gauronsky.

JIM THORPE

Searfoss 9-0-2-19, Hurley 8-1-2-19, O. Smelas 6-0-2-12. Yuhas 5-0-0-10, H. Smelas 2-0-0-5, Snisky 1-0-0-3, Ginapolas 1-0-0-2, Cinicola 0-0-0-0, Hartman 00-0-0, Wainwright 0-0-0-0, Robinson 0-0-0-0, Fiorito 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 32-2-8-70.

MAHANOY AREA

Clark 3-2-2-10, Moss 4-0-0-10, Babinsky 2-0-0-6, Macleary 1-2-2-4, McGroarty 1-1-2-3, Derr 0-0-0-0, Bowles 0-0-0-0, Cavenas 0-0-0-0, Kramer 0-0-0-0, Quick 0-0-0-0, Kessock 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 11-5-6-33.

Jim Thorpe 21 19 13 17 - 70

Mahanoy Area 11 6 12 4 - 33

Three-pointers: Jim Thorpe - Hurley 2, Searfoss 1, H. Smelas 1, Snisky 1; Mahanoy Area - Clark 2, Moss 2, Babinsky 2.