ORWIGSBURG – The end was riveting.

The team that wouldn’t quit never did seem to garner control completely.

It tried to lean on its best player, who was being hounded sometimes by three defenders.

Weatherly just ran out of luck Saturday at Blue Mountain High School, where it fell 49-43 to The Christian Academy. A season of high expectations did live up to those lofty hopes, as the Wreckers captured a District 11 Class 1A championship — a first since 1986 for the ladies.

But its quest for more glory in the PIAA tournament came up short.

Weatherly seemed to be in control with 3:29 remaining and holding a four-point lead. The Wreckers had built that lead thanks to their leading scorer Emily Zoscin (20), who was stellar once again. But the train just went off the tracks right after that serge.

“We put the ball in our best player’s hands,” explained Kevin Kringe about Zoscin, who was trying to kill off time with every possession. Trouble was the Wreckers stopped forcing the issue, which got them the lead.

“We kind of turned the ball over a little bit, but that’s (been) kind of our demise,” admitted Kringe, who felt that his team was in a position to run out the clock.

However, the Crusaders had other thoughts.

The Christian Academy’s two best players came up big in a 10-0 rally, which pulled the plug on Weatherly’s (16-9) season. Grace Gormley (21) and Lindsay Haseltine (15) were two tough defenders, forcing turnovers most the contest. And when the visitors needed an answer in the paint, they got it from unsung hero Dejay Burley-Chambers, who came up huge twice in the rally.

Burley-Chambers’ first was a recycled shot that ignited the closing rally. Then, with 1:06 to play and the game tied at 43-43, she put up a bucket and was fouled, completing the three-point play.

“That was so big,” said Crusaders coach Jason Wilt of the three-point conversion. “She’s really great when teams press us, she has such good hands. She can get up for her size.”

Also, the Crusaders were nearly perfect at the foul line late in the game, going 6-for-7. Wilt said that was an Achilles Heel most of the season, but it turned into big points at the end.

Weatherly played in spurts throughout the contest. It generated a 12-6 lead late in the first quarter, riding the scoring of Tabetha Hinkle, Lindsey Hoffman, Megan Peifer and Zoscin, before The Christian Academy stormed back on the wings of Gromely and Haseltine tying it, 14-14.

Things bode well for Weatherly in the second period, when it used a late run of points, as Zoscin scored five and Abigail Hernandez kissed a bank off the glass for a 25-21 lead at the half.

The Wreckers built a 32-23 lead to open the second half, butt failed to maintain the momentum, watching the Crusaders put up an 11-0 run to jump in front 34-32.

That set the stage for a fourth quarter that once again saw Weatherly take charge, only to see its lead collapse under a run by the Crusaders.

OFF THE CHARTS … Weatherly held a 41-38 rebounding edge, led by Peifer with eight and Zoscin with seven.

SHOT IN THE DARK … Weatherly had its share of shots, going 18-for-55, while TCA was 18-for-42. Weatherly had 21 turnovers and the Crusaders 23.

THE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY

Gormley 8-5-8-21, Haseltine 5-4-5 15, Burly-Chambers 2-1-2-5, Dike 2-1-4-5, Sareula 1-1-4-3. TOTALS: 18-12-22-49.

WEATHERLY

Zoscin 8-2-3-20, Peifer 3-0-0-7, Hoffman 3-0-0-7, Hernandez 1-0-0-2, James 1-0-0-3, Ache 1-0-0-2, T. Hinkle 1-0-0-2, Heister 0-0-0-0, Cichon 0-0-0-0, Miller 0-0-0-0, G. Hinkle 0-0-0-0, Koslop 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 18-23-43.

Christain A. 14 7 13 15 - 49

Weatherly 14 11 7 13 - 43

Three-pointers: TCA - Haseltine 1; Weatherly - Zoscin 2, James 1, Hoffman 1, Peifer 1.