There is a battle brewing in the Schuylkill Girls Basketball League Division 2.

Some may have thought it was a far-gone conclusion to anoint Lourdes or Williams Valley as the top dog.

Enter Mahanoy Area. This terrific, unselfish group is now on the verge of more than challenging. It is gong to be right smack on the stoop of the door.

The Golden Bears did what was needed against a no-quit bunch of Marian Fillies before emerging in a yeomen performance 49-33 to stay undefeated on the season and in the division (3-0) going to 4-0 thus far on the season after Friday’s victory.

Where Mahanoy Area was just better, balanced in its scoring lineup. The Bears threesome of Felicia Bro, Ella Connolly and unsung Noamoi Kowalick combined for 45 of the points.

Bro, who recently knocked down her career 1000th point, led with 18. Connolly drained 17 and Kowalick fired in 10. Marian’s lone double-digit scorer came from the hand of Deanna Pugh with 17.

“I said to the girls it might have easier had we made our layups,” Mahanoy head coach Tom Sheeler said.

Marian took a quick hit to the bow when its star inside player Addy Marek took a bench seat with two early fouls, and the Fillies were hanging loose tied at 5-5 before Mahanoy found what it liked inside, and sometimes outside, blurting to a 15-7 lead and a 29-15 halftime advantage.

“Yeah, losing Addy early forced us into some things that, losing her size,” Jeannette Shafer-Barron bemoaned. “You take her off the floor early and we had to make some adjustments and (Mahanoy) took advantage.”

The rangy 6-footer walked the talk as she corralled Connolly time and again.

“The good thing we were getting good shots, even though we missed,” Scheeler said.

A late second-quarter fling by the Bears turned into the 14-point lead at the respite.

Connolly finally got one of her free throws to fall for a 17-7 lead to start the second quarter. But Brooke Hannis-Miskar swished one of her three treys, from the arc cutting the lead to 19-14. Mahanoy Area got a shot of adrenaline when Bro zipped down the court to initiate a 10-0 rally to end the period.

Connolly bagged a triple before Kowalik made her entrance known. The junior caught fire with a trey, a corner shot and recycled one of her misses to close the period as the Kaxton sounded.

“She’s our energy,” Scheeler said. “She’s the voice of the team. She keeps everybody up, everybody together all of the time.”

That togetherness was the reason Mahanoy began to assert itself. It led 31-15 on a Connolly bucket to open the third quarter, however Marek and Hannis-Miskar answered for Marian.

After Bro sank two fouls, Kowalick added four points. Then Pugh came storming into the middle of the action for the Fillies with three points. Bro answered to lift the Area to a 38-25 lead after three quarters.

Lost but found were the quick switches Mahanoy Area had to do when Kowalick was saddled with her third foul.

“Naomi got her third foul, and we had plan B, C, D,” Scheeler said after sent the smaller Bro on the taller Marek and Julianna Wonsock on Pugh, the quick, slick guard. “They both did a nice job (defending).”

It was an inside battle between two standout guards. Bro and Pugh were jousting as Pugh matched up with Bro on the defensive side in the fourth quarter. Mahanoy was dictating and wanted the Fillies to abandon their zone.

“(Those) are two really good point guards,” Scheeler said.

Mahanoy spread the lead to 42-25 to start the final chapter, Marek, Gia Decosmo and Pugh ruffled the Bears feathers’ making it 42-31.

“The clock wasn’t in our favor there, so we needed to go man and they just had better matches,” Barron said.

And more balanced offensive attack, too.

Mahanoy Area for sure is headed to head-to-head clashes with the preseason favorites Williams Valley and Lourdes.

“Last year we were behind Lourdes, Williams Valley and Marian and to get to the league playoffs we’ve got to beat those teams, get into the top three somehow,” Scheeler said.

So far, Mahanoy Area has one feather in its cap — a win over Marian.

NO SECRETS … Connolly surely is a huge facet along with Kowalick in the inside game. Those two combined for 18 of the teams 33 rebounds. Connolly has brute strength, collecting 13 on her own. Besides Kowalick with 6, Wonsock had 5. Marian collected 33 rebounds, Marek was superb with 13.

LET US COUNT … Mahanoy shot 20-49 from the floor; Fillies went 11-43. Turnovers were 8 for the Bears, 17 by Marian.

BATTLERS … “Our kids have a lot of heart, losing Marek hurt early, our turnovers are something we have to get better at,” Barron said.

BROKEN … Marian’s coach Shafer-Barron left the sideline coaching chores to her daughter Emily Shaud.

MAHANOY AREA

Bro 5 8-9-18, Connolly 8-1-4-17, Kowalick 5-0-0-10, Wonsock 2-0-1-4, Haughney 0-0-0-0, Manley 0-0-0-0, Christian 0-0-0-0, Carl 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 20-9-14-49.

MARIAN

Pugh 5-6-7-17, Marek 3-2-2-8, Hannis-Miskar 2-0-0-6, DeCosmo 0-0-0-0, Knock 0-0-0-0, Minzola 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 11-8-9-33.

Mahanoy Area 15 14 9 11 - 49

Marian 7 8 10 8 - 33

Three-pointers: Mahanoy Area - None; Marian - Miskar 3, Pugh 1.