POTTSVILLE - Marian's Jake Paluck proved that you don't have to be the first option to be the best option.

With the game tied in the second overtime and the clock winding down, Paluck got the ball and a chance to be the hero.He didn't disappoint.Paluck's short bank shot with :14 remaining - his only field goal of the night - lifted the Colts to a 57-55 victory over Moravian Academy Tuesday night in the District 11 Class 2A semifinals.With three teammates around him who had already hit double figures on the night, the Lions probably weren't expecting Paluck to be the man Marian went to with its season on the line.But Paluck proved the moment wasn't too big for him."I got the ball in the high post, I saw the lane was open, and I just took it to the basket," explained Paluck about his winning shot. "I'm confident taking the ball to the hole in that situation."The reason Paluck got a chance to be the hero was because two of his teammates came up huge a little earlier.Marian had overcome an 11-point first-half deficit to eventually take the lead on a Brandon Mohammed three-point play midway through the final quarter.Mohammed followed that with another basket from in close to put Marian ahead 44-39 with under four minutes remaining.But Moravian Academy's Jordan Holmqvist scored seven straight points - part of an incredible 35-point performance - to give his team a 46-44 lead.Marian missed three shots to tie the game or take the lead in the final half minute but saved the possession time after time with offensive rebounds.Mohammed finally got the tying basket on an inbounds play lob from under the basket with :05 left to force overtime."My attitude in that situation was that I wasn't going home with a loss," said Mohammed. "We had so many people step up and make big plays tonight that I knew I had to do my job as well."The Colts needed more dramatics in the first overtime.Trailing by three points with just :21 remaining, Marian was forced to foul. But Moravian missed a pair of free throws and Jarod Paisley hit a three-pointer in transition with :13 to play to force a second OT."It's a really tough loss, "Lions' coach Steve Gabryluk said. "We had some opportunities in both regulation and overtime to win it. But a forced shot, some missed free throws, the inability to get a defensive rebound … we just needed to make one more play."But you have to give Marian credit. Sure, there were some things we didn't do right. But there were a lot of things Marian did well when it needed to. They made some big shots and big plays down the stretch."Marian coach John Patton's challenge to his team at halftime, after the Colts struggled both offensively and defensively during the first two quarters, proved prophetic in the end."I told them at halftime that we were better than this," Patton said. "I told them that somebody had to step up and make some plays and hit some shots."A lot of Colts did exactly that after intermission.With their high school careers hanging in the balance, seniors Mohammed, Paisley and Paluck took Patton's plea to heart. They all made plays and hit shots when the Colts needed it most.TITLE MATCHUP … The victory sends Marian (20-4) into the district title game on Friday at 7 p.m. at Martz Hall against Shenandoah Valley. The win also secures the Colts a spot in the PIAA State tournament for the first time since 2011.BIG NUMBERS … Mohammed led Marian with 17 points, Ryan Karchner added 12 and Tyler Fritz had 10.FOR JAKE'S SAKE … Paluck has been plagued by injuries during his Marian career, missing all or parts of the last three football and basketball seasons. During that time he has had two ACL injuries and a broken fibula, and has undergone a pair of knee surgeries. It was obvious by Patton's remarks and the reaction of the Colt players that Paluck's dedication and determination to overcome his injuries made him a deserving hero.MORAVIAN ACADEMYMessman 0-0-0-0, J. Rodriguez 3-0-0-6, Holmqvist 12-7-10-35, Woolley 0-1-2-1, Kruklitis 1-1-4-3, Quaindo 0-0-0-0, Durrani 0-0-0-0, Meissinger 1-0-0-2, Atiyeh 1-0-0-3, Chiaradia 2-0-1-5. TOTALS: 20-9-19-55.MARIANKarchner 4-4-6-12, Mohammed 7-3-6-17, Mummey 1-0-0-3, Stauffer 1-0-0-3, Fritz 4-0-0-10, Paisley 2-2-3-7, Collevechio 1-0-0-2, Paluck 1-1-2-3, McLaughlin 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 21-10-17-57.Moravian A. 13 13 7 13 5 4 - 55Marian 5 13 13 15 5 6 - 57Three-pointers: Moravian - Holmqvist 4, Chiaradia 1, Atiyeh 1. Marian - Fritz 2, Mummey 1, Stauffer 1, Paisley 1.