POTTSVILLE – Big players step up in big games.

That may be a bit of a cliche, but it was also very true on Tuesday night at fabled Martz Hall as Marian had to rise to the occasion numerous times to stave off Blue Mountain, 52-41.

On a Fillies’ squad that has featured plenty of stars during a stellar 22-1 season, no star shined brighter in this one than Carly Minchhoff.

Minchhoff was a force the entire night, but came up especially big during a blistering Marian start to the third quarter as the Fillies used a 11-0 spurt to turn a one-point halftime lead into a 29-17 advantage.

“That was such a big run for us to start that quarter,” said Marian coach Damian Fritz.

Minchhoff knocked down seven points in the run, which began on back-to-back baskets from Fatikha Tikhtova and Frankie Martinelli before Minchhoff took over.

“At halftime, we told Carly we’re going to get on your back and ride you in the second half,” Fritz explained.

The Fillies did exactly that as Minchhoff not only played a key role in extending the lead, but also came up with several key baskets to short circuit Blue Mountain rallies.

Marian never deviated from the game plan that has been so successful for it this season - play aggressive defense, battle on the boards, and keep shooting.

But while the Fillies’ defense and rebounding were sound as usual, their shooting touch wasn’t. Marian was just 7-for-33 from the field in the first half (21%).

“We just kept gong after it, and finally we got a few shots to fall in the second half,” said Fritz.

Although their shooting improved in the second half, the Fillies ran into a different problem - foul trouble. Both Tikhtova and Minchhoff picked up their third fouls during the third quarter and had to go to the bench. Both returned in the fourth quarter, but Tikhtova eventually fouled out.

“It was disappointing to see Fatikha get in foul trouble. She’s such a key player for us,” said Fritz. “That’s something that hasn’t happened to her all year.”

Despite falling behind by double digits, the Eagles never backed off and came soaring back. They rode the shooting of both Kylie Conway and Victoria Wagner, and the superb play of reserve Sky Hardy - who had a career night with 14 points - to battle back.

After the Eagles crept to within 28-24, Martinelli re-energized her side with a pair of fouls, and Addie Fritz bombed a trey that enabled the Fillies to stay the course and hold a 35-31 lead after three quarters.

In the final frame, the Eagles twice came within a basket of a tie. First, Conway buried a triple to pull Blue Mountain to within 37-35, but Kerrigan Digris answered with a bucket for Marian. A pair of Hardy foul shots with less than three minutes to play made it 40-37. But Marian answered once again as Minchoff hit a pair of free throws, before Digris provided the dagger with a clutch triple at the 1:25 mark that sealed the victory - and provided a sweet ending to the Fillies’ Valentine’s Day.

UP NEXT ... The win sends the Fillies into Friday night’s Schuylkill League championship game at Martz Hall (6 p.m.) against North Schuylkill, which dispatched Pine Grove 62-31 in the opener.

BIG LOSS ... Blue Mountain (20-4) lost key starter Renee Baldwin to an injury during the first half.

HE SAID IT

… “They have the green light. When they’re open, I still expect them to shoot the ball.” said Fritz on how he reacted to his team’s frigid first-half shooting display.

BY THE NUMBERS

… Both teams were dead-even in rebounding, with 33 apiece. Minchoff and Fritz each had six for Marian. Hardy had seven for the Eagles. Marian shot 16-for-51 (31%) from the field , while Blue Mountain was 16-for-45.

MARIAN

Pleban 0-6-13-6, Digris 3-2-2-10, Martinelli 3-2-2-9, Minchoff 8-5-7-22, F. Tikhtova 1-0-2-2, A. Tikhtova 0-0-0-0, Fritz 1-0-0-3, Thomas 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 16-15-26-52.

BLUE MTN.

Conway 4-0-0-9, Heydt 1-0-3-2, Wagner 3-1-2-7, Gibson 0-0-0-0, Peel 0-0-0-0, Hardy 5-4-8-14, Keck 3-0-0-9, Faust 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 16-5-13-41.

Marian 10 8 17 18 - 52

Blue Mtn. 7 10 14 10 - 41

Three-pointers: Marian – Digris 2, Minchoff 2, Martinelli 1, Fritz 1. Blue Mountain – Keck 3, Conway 1.