The sting will hurt for a while.

Catasauqua’s last-second loss to Philadelphia’s West Catholic in the opening round of the PIAA state Class 3A playoffs may linger for the Rough Riders, especially for the seven graduating seniors.

Catty had a 36-31 lead in the final minutes, but West Catholic struck back with a pair of three-pointers down the stretch, the latter from Ciana Blake just before time expired for a stunning 37-36 victory.

The defeat ended Catty’s productive run with an overall 16-11 in a season when they qualified for the league playoffs for the fist time since 2008 and made it to the district final for the first time since 2004.

Head coach Mark Seremula was blunt in his response to the defeat, notably to his seniors.

“It stinks,” he deadpanned. “And it’s tough situation, and they’re great kids. I took over the program when they (seniors) were in seventh grade, and I have been with them every step of the way.

“There wasn’t any point heading into the fourth quarter that I didn’t think that we wouldn’t be playing Tuesday in the next round. We played like we were headed to the next round, and we played an overall good game.”

Seremula did note that his team made just four of 12 free-throw attempts in the final stanza, one factor that helped West Catholic (12-13) stay within striking range.

Senior forward Delaney Troxell, a four-year starter, took the loss hard, but she also saw the whole picture. Troxell will attend Millersville University on a softball scholarship in the fall.

“It was a heart-braking loss,” she stressed. “I give props to the girl who hit the last three-pointer, it was deep and she drained it.

“But I am extremely thankful for all the opportunities I had playing basketball for Catasauqua. To make it to the district final and state playoffs is unbelievable. No one believed we could do it. We proved the whole Lehigh Valley wrong. I have to give thanks to my coaches who pushed me to this point in my career. They taught us so much over the past four years. They have no idea how they impacted the team.

“I also give it all to my teammates. We have pushed each other since day one because we wanted to be a team that would shock the world.”

Fellow senior forward Sophia Becker, who is Troxell’s softball mound mate as her catcher for the softball pitcher, also took the defeat to heart, and she realized her team’s impact on the program.

“Losing is the last second on a three-pointer is one of the worst ways to lose,” offered Becker. “I was really hoping to make it deep into the state playoffs, but unfortunately, we were knocked off early.

We played a great game Friday, but we started to slow down our intensity in the fourth quarter. We just let up on offense and defense. I am truly devastated that basketball has come to an end.

“That loss was heartbreaking, and every player blamed herself for it. We all could’ve done things better, but we never stopped playing as a family. I could not be more grateful to be ending the season with the most amazing girls and coaches I ever met.

“I truly hope that we have made a legacy that Catty will be able to uphold these next few years.”

Sophomore guard and leading scorer Hailey Jenkins was grateful for the ride.

“Eventually the season had to come to an end, even if we didn’t want it to be this soon,” noted Jenkins. “Even though we felt devastated after the loss, we should all be proud of ourselves. We did something that hadn’t been done in years, and that’s getting to leagues, districts, and states.

“I’ve enjoyed this extended season with these amazing people. Love them so much, and I will definitely miss them. I’m happy to have two more seasons with my other teammates and coaches. I hope to build new bonds with them, and I hope to grow from this and get better for next season.”

Seremula always will have a special place in his heart for his departing seniors.

“I told them that I hope my eight-year-old daughter is half the person they are,” gushed Seremula. “They are all great athletes and better young ladies.

“Overall, they were a group of great kids.”