Coming into the 2023-24 season, the Marian Fillies had big aspirations.

The Fillies - coming off back-to-back district championships - and returning a host of talent, had their eyes set on making some postseason noise.

Among the Filllies’ goals were a Schuylkill title, a third straight District 11 championship, and a deep run in the state tournament.

But the postseason did not go as planned for Marian with a tough loss to Blue Mountain in the Schuylkill League semifinals, and an even tougher defeat to Northern Lehigh in the District 11 2A semis.

The Fillies (20-5) were able to rebound, however, defeating Schuylkill Haven in the 2A consolation game to qualify for the state tournament.

With one big goal still alive, Marian heads into the state playoffs with a clean slate, along with a talented and determined roster.

“We are obviously not happy with the way leagues and districts ended, but we were able to give ourselves another opportunity by qualifying for the state tournament for the third year in a row,” said Marian head coach Damian Fritz. “And I don’t think our story for this season has been written yet. I think we can still go on a run.

“The way things have played out, it has motivated our girls and they have been dialed in. Practices have been great and competitive. There is obviously still a lot out there in front of us to play for.”

Marian, the No. 3 seed out of District 11, will head up to Rome in Bradford County to square off with the No. 2 seed out of District 4 in Northeast Bradford (NEB) on Friday night at 7 p.m.

The Panthers are 17-7 on the season, and coming off a 37-34 loss to Muncy in the District 4 2A final. In that game, Leah Beebe and Emma Neuber led the way for NEB with 10 points apiece. Lilah Hughes scored six points and Lani Thomas and Lillie Maynard each netted four.

In Marian’s win over Schuylkill Haven, Frankie Martinelli (10.90 points per game, 49 three-pointers), scored 11 points, Addison Fritz (12.13 ppg, 27 three-pointers) added 10 and Carly Minchhoff (14.43 ppg, 41 three-pointers) tallied eight.

“They go as Leah Beebe - their point guard - goes. She’s a tough player, and she is going to play tough defense the entire game. She can also handle the ball very well. She is a high energy player for them, so we will need to do our best to contain her,” said Fritz. “They are a straight man-to-man team, and they will look to play aggressive out of it.

“Also, we are going to really need to focus on boxing out. If we don’t play with physicality on the boards, that could hurt us.”

With a few days to practice and prepare for the state tournament, the Fillies believe they have found some new wrinkles that could pay dividends in their matchup with Northeast Bradford, and hopefully going forward in the state tournament.

“We had a really good scrimmage and switched a few things up, and I think we have definitely found something, especially on the defensive side of the court,” said Fritz. “We have had some great practices, and the girls have looked really focused and determined.

“We worked hard in both the offseason and during the season, so we’re excited for the opportunity to make that hard work pay off.”