Liberty’s girls basketball team seized their last-chance opportunity to clinch a berth in state playoffs by defeating District XI Class 6A top-seeded Emmaus, 59-45, in a consolation final on Feb. 28 at Whitehall High School.

“We were able to play four quarters of tough basketball, we took care of the ball when we needed to, we were able to handle their pressure, and we limited their transition points and 3-point shooting,” said Liberty coach Jarrett Carnes. “It comes down to how bad you want it, how much you’re willing to put in. We responded tonight.”

Emmaus had been undefeated all season until losing to Parkland in a district semifinal on Feb. 25 and then losing to Liberty.

“The girls expressed that they’ve been wanting to play Emmaus all season,” said Carnes. “We knew it would happen sometime in the playoffs. We didn’t want to play them for third place, but that’s where the chips fell, and we had to make do with what we had.”

The Hurricanes turned up the offensive heat 2 1/2 minutes into the second quarter when Liberty guard Anijah Davis drilled a 3-pointer, and Liberty guard Ava Kopetskie sank two deep triples.

“I wasn’t really looking where I was shooting from,” said Kopetskie, who ended the game with 29 points. “I was just shooting and they were going in.”

The 9-0 Hurricane run seemed to rattle the Hornets enough that they were called for a 10-second violation and a travel.

Emmaus forward Sofie Laird came up with five points, and Gabby DeVita’s bucket off of a steal put the Hornets within two points at the half.

“During halftime, we were up, so we made sure the third quarter we kept fighting,” said Davis, “and then when it hit the fourth quarter, we were able to bring the score up. Usually, [DeVita and Kayla Snyder] are the main scorers for Emmaus, and we know their game, so we had to shut those two down and let the other players score, so honestly, it made our game easier.”

Davis had 17 points for the Hurricanes, several on fast breaks.

“I know when Ava’s throwing the ball down to me I’m always there,” Davis said. “I make sure she sees me.”

Kendall Medina’s triple for Liberty midway through the third quarter, followed by a 3-pointer from Tula Sobrinski was another setback for Emmaus that seemingly threw the Hornets off their game.

Said Kopetskie,”They play fast and they wanted us to play fast, so when we slow it down, it helps our game and get into our sets and get open shots. I think we’re a completely different team than we were at the beginning of the season. A lot of players got confidence and stepped up in big ways.”

Liberty led, 45-38, to start the fourth quarter, but with no guarantee of a positive outcome, the Hurricanes had to play eight smart minutes.

“We wanted to stay patient,” said Carnes. “We understood there was still a lot of game to play, but I told them if we rebound, take care of the ball, and play defense, it’s gonna be hard for them to come back.”

The Hurricanes will enter the PIAA Class 6A state tournament on March 7 when they will travel to Benjamin Franklin High School in Philadelphia to take on Palumbo Academy.