For the second time this season, Liberty’s girls basketball team defeated city rival Bethlehem Catholic, and on Jan. 31, the Hurricanes came out on top again, 57-49, at Liberty.

“We’ve always had trouble with Beca, and this year we put the pedal to the metal, and it was a great, great day,” said Liberty forward Abby Thompson (10 points). “[Coach D’Emilio and Coach Auriemma] really preached confidence. Both of the coaches did. It’s amazing.”

Liberty track coach and former boys basketball assistant coach Chris D’Emilio took over girls basketball duties last week in the absence of head coach Jarrett Carnes and assistant Jordan Young.

“I’m really happy to have this opportunity to coach these girls, but it’s Liberty, so there was a situation, we’re family, and we pick each other up,” D’Emilio said. “They trusted me right away. We had a great, fun practice. They basically took me through all their plays, and what the girls did tonight was amazing. I didn’t know what to expect yesterday at practice, and it was one of the best days I’ve had in Memorial Gym, and needless to say, today trumped it.”

Partway through the second quarter, Liberty junior Ruby Miller put the Hurricanes ahead 19-12 on a scooped-up turnover and soon after, a 3-pointer.

Thompson widened the gap after driving the lane for six more points, once on a quick pass from Emma Pukszyn.

“It was definitely keeping my head up because the help wasn’t coming often, so I just kind of tried to go through the gap, and that’s really what got me open,” Thompson said. “We had to keep attacking, and defense is key because stopping them is what we needed to do to convert on offense.”

Bethlehem Catholic, hoping to avenge their first loss to Liberty on Jan. 6, trailed, 30-22, at halftime.

“We put ourselves in a hole to begin with, and that can’t happen,” said Becahi coach Jose Medina. “We put the kids in the right spots, but you know, the bottom line is the execution. Now we have to work doubly hard to try and get out of the hole. We got there, and then we give up an offensive rebound and that’s the story of the game. You have to give credit to Liberty. They match up well against us.”

But the Hawks made the most out of a bad Liberty pass and a lost Hurricane ball when Becahi guard Cici Hernandez (13 points) hit a 3-pointer and teammate Akasha Santos scored two more points. Four more points by the Becahi pair, along with full-court pressure pulled the Hawks within two, and at the end of the third quarter, the score sat at 40-38.

“We were definitely expecting the pressure, and we kind of just helped each other, so as long as we had the inbounder staying back to get the ball, we were good,” said Liberty forward Ava Kopetskie (19 points). “They’re not going to hand us the win, so we had to fight for it. They were just hard-fought wins. The Bethlehem rivalry had something to do with it, and this game, we played for Coach Carnes and Coach Jordan, and that just fueled us and helped us get through it. Luckily, we were playing good D and they were missing their shots.”

The Hurricanes went on an 8-0 run to start the fourth quarter, and Becahi’s Ella Bincarosky drilled two consecutive 3s.

Four points from Kopetskie and two from Jordan Thompson after Layla Orth hauled in a one-armed rebound set the ‘Canes up for the win.

This week will conclude the regular season and begin the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference playoffs with teams, sites, days, and times yet to be determined at Press deadlines.