BY ASHLEY TEATUM

Times-Shamrock Writer

Like a well-oiled machine, every part of Montrose girls basketball team played a role in Friday night’s victory over Wyalusing.

Dallas Ely hit 5 of 7 of 3-pointers, drawing the Rams’ defense out.

That opened up space on the low post for Sara Krupinski and Myra Lattimore to do some damage under the basket.

It was just too much for Wyalusing to contain as the Lady Meteors won their 23rd consecutive game, 57-41, on Friday night at Scranton High School in the first round of the PIAA Class AA girls basketball playoffs.

Montrose moved on to face Carver Engineering and Science, which defeated Lancaster Mennonite, 51-50, in another first-round game Friday, on Tuesday night. Results were not available at presstime.

“Everyone stepped up and everybody made good plays,” said Krupinski, who finished with 11 points. “Everyone did everything well.

“It’s all a cycle and it starts working whenDallasmakes those outside shots. They close out on her. Stepping up is really what we needed to do in that second half.”

In the first half, Wyalusing stayed within striking distance. Alexis Daly drained a short jumper to end the first quarter and tie the game at 12.

Wyalusing pulled ahead at the start of the second quarter as Daly hit the front end of a pair of free throws, and the Rams tied it again at 16 with4:28left in the first half.

But with a 9-2 run to close out the half, including four points from Krupinski and a 3 from Ely, Montrose took a 24-18 lead.

“We were just excited about being here,” Montrose coach Al Smith said. “The girls were focused and we knew if we played our game, we had a chance at winning at the end.”

The Lady Meteors continued that run into the third quarter, and led by as many as 14 points behind some low post work from Lattimore. Plus, Wyalusing committed six turnovers in the third alone.

“We played great defense, we were forcing a lot of turnovers, turning it into points on offense,” said Lattimore, who finished with 10 points. “The first half we played well.

“But we had more in us. We really wanted to put the win away. We came out very focused.”

Wyalusing closed to within 37-30 as Kayleen Sutton hit a basket at the buzzer to end the third quarter. But Montrose posted 20 points, including six points apiece from Lattimore and Ely, in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

“The girls played hard, they rebounded, and our offense picked up, too,” Smith said. “The second half, (Lattimore and Krupinski) stepped up real big. That was important. We needed to get them involved.”