PHILADELPHIA — Parlaying a suffocating defense with an offense in which everyone on the roster scored, including a career-night performance by junior Deanna Pugh, the Marian Fillies scored a 66-24 triumph over the Vaux Big Picture Lady Cougars Friday night at the Philadelphia High School for Girls.

The win enabled coach Jeff Onushco’s hometown diocesans to advance to Tuesday’s second round of the PIAA Class 2A state playoffs. They’ll meet Wyoming Seminary, the No. 2 seed out of District 2 which defeated District 4 champion Muncy by a 32-25 margin.

Despite the near-two-hour trek down the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Fillies entered the City of Brotherly Love ready to play, evidenced by a 32-9 first quarter blowout of the District 12 No. 2 entry. That pretty much set the tone for the outcome.

“We came here prepared and took care of business,” said Onushco of his District 11 silver medal squad. “We thought we had a chance, but with a two-hour bus trip, you never know what you’re going to get out of your team.”

If Onushco was apprehensive because of the journey, that feeling was short lived, as Marian shot out of the gate and took a 10-0 lead, thanks to a triple by Katie Knock, five straight points by Pugh and an inside bucket by Addy Marek.

If the lead wasn’t enough, the rout quickly turned into a starting lineup affair as Hailey Minzola and Brooke Hannis-Miskar then got into the scoring act.

Marian employed a 1-2-2 pressure defense that stifled the Lady Cougars. While two free throws by A’Niyah Reed and a bucket by Valerie Sams got it to 10-4 at the 4:33 mark of the opening stanza, that was the closest the host team would get, as Minzola and Hannis-Miskar got into the scoring act, making it 15-4 at the 4:02 mark. Pugh scored four points, sandwiching a bucket by Minzola, and with 2:52 left in the first stanza, the Fillies had a commanding 21-4 lead.

Onushco said, “We put the full-court press in vs. Williams Valley (in the District 11 final), but we didn’t play well there. But tonight, I thought, we did a decent job. We were ready, had good eyes and pressured the ball nicely.”

In the first 16 minutes, the Fillies forced 28 Lady Cougar miscues.

Clearly, the main beneficiary of the pressure defense was Pugh. The speedy junior was all over the floor, picking up buckets at ease and proceeding to tally 31 points, her career best, including 25 in the first half.

“It feels awesome (to have a career best),” Pugh said afterward. “I’m very happy and proud of my teammates. We just have to keep moving forward and have to continue working hard.”

Losing coach Corey “Rob” Robinson said afterward, “We have a young team and the girls don’t quite understand the concepts we are trying to get them to learn. No. 5 (Pugh), she’s outstanding, and I told our girls to get back, but she (Pugh) is so fast, she went in and out and down the lane on us.

“That’s (Marian) a good, solid squad. They move the ball around. It’s something I’m trying to teach our girls to do.”

The Fillies never took their foot off the proverbial gas pedal in the first half. After Vaux got within 14, 23-9 with 1:59 left in the opening frame, Marian went on a 9-0 run as its three returning veterans, Pugh, Hannis-Miskar and Marek, scored 4, 3 and 2, respectively, ending the period with a 32-9 lead.

Then, to start the second frame, Minzola returned a rebound off the glass for a deuce, after Pugh scored eight straight points, and with 5:51 left before intermission the game was all but over at 42-9.

Behind Pugh’s 31, Hannis-Miskar had a solid game for the Fillies, finishing with 10. Minzola and Knock added six apiece, Marek had five and Decosmo, Jehana Bushati and Yerang Kown all got into the scoring act to the delight of their coach. He said, “It was nice to see everyone get in the scoring column. It helps them to build confidence in themselves.”

The Lady Cougars were led by Sams with 12 points.

72ND PIAA WIN ... The win was the Fillies’ 72nd all time in PIAA tournaments, ranking them tied for seventh place among all classes in wins with Nativity. In District 11, the two schools are tied for second place behind Allentown Central Catholic’s 84 wins.

NO SENIORS ... Neither team dressed a senior for the contest.

TO PLAY TUESDAY ... The Fillies will play Wyoming Seminary Tuesday at a site to be determined.

FILLIE FOLLOWING ... Distance apparently is not an issue for Fillie fans as the diocesans had a nice crowd on hand.

MARIAN

Bushati 1-0-0-2, Pugh 13-5-5-31, Minzola 3-0-0-6, Hannis-Miskar 3-2-2-10, Knock 2-0-0-6, Kwon 1-0-0-2, Decosmo 2-0-2-4. Marek 1-3-4-5. TOTALS: 26-10-13-66.

VAUX

Sams 5-0-1-12, Warren 1-1-8-4, Un 1-0-0-2, Reed 2-2-4-6, Cruz 0-0-0-0, Yow-Williams 0-0-0-0, Grazier 0-0-0-0, Minagala 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 9-3-13-24.

Marian 32 22 8 4 - 66

Vaux 9 8 2 5 - 24

Three pointers: Marian - Hannis-Miskar 2, Knock 2; Vaux - Sams 2, Warren 1.

Records: Marian (15-11); Vaux (14-8).