MARTINSBURG - When Central's Sarabeth Bean scored on a driving a layup to open the second quarter against Hollidaysburg, the Lady Dragons trailed by just three points.
From that point on though, it was all Hollidaysburg.
The Lady Tigers outscored Central 30-4 over the remainder of the second quarter and first three minutes of the third quarter on their way to a 74-47 victory Wednesday.
Morgan Griffith had a double-double in the first half alone with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The junior center finished with 15 points and a dozen rebounds.
"Morgan's big, strong and powerful. She gives us a real presence inside," Hollidaysburg coach Deanna Jubeck said.
Susie Ellis matched Griffith point for point with 12 in the first half and 15 for the game. Rachel McClain scored seven of her 13 points during an 11-0 run to start of the second half.
Michele Muir and Hannah Mercer added nine and eight points, respectively.
Although Hollidaysburg got plenty of offense from a number of different players, Jubeck pointed to the defense as the catalyst.
"All our kids played a really nice game on defense. Our guards set the tone with their pressure and deflections," Jubeck said. "If we can control the boards and let our defense set the tempo, we're a tough matchup."
Lindsey Smith led Central with a game-high 20 points, and Bean scored 17 points. Most of those points came after Hollidaysburg already had a 29-point lead, however.
"They're a great team," Central coach Shelley McCune said. "They have solid depth. They're well-coached. They keep coming at you. I could go on and on."
Hollidaysburg improved to 13-8 on the season. The Lady Tigers wrap up their regular season Friday with a senior night home game against Bishop Carroll.
Hollidaysburg then plays Tyrone for the District 6 AAA championship. The date and site have yet to be determined.
The loss snapped a five-game win streak for Central, which closed its regular season at 15-7.
The Lady Dragons enter the District 6 Class AA playoffs as the seventh seed. They play 10th-seeded Richland 6 p.m. Tuesday at Central Cambria High School. The winner of that game advances to play Bellwood-Antis in the quarterfinals.
"We have to stay focused and believe that we can advance," McCune said. "The kids have played tough all season. They've overcome a lot. I'm very proud of them."
HOLLIDAYSBURG (74): Gildea 2 0-1 4, R. McClain 5 2-3 13, Ellis 6 0-0 15, Mercer 3 2-2 8, Griffith 4 7-8 15, Muir 4 1-3 9, Storm 1 1-2 4, Tomassetti 3 0-0 6, Uzmack 0 0-0 0, O'Donald 0 0-0 0. Totals - 28 13-19 74.
CENTRAL (47): L. Smith 6 8-8 20, McKnight 0 0-2 0, Blattenberger 3 2-4 8, Bean 5 7-8 17, A. Smith 1 0-0 2, McGraw 0 0-0 0, Shriver 0 0-0 0, Butler 0 0-0 0. Totals - 15 17-22 47.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Hollidaysburg15 19 28 12 - 74
Central10 6 15 16 - 47
3-point goals: Hollidaysburg 5 (Ellis 3, McClain, Storm).
Records: Hollidaysburg (13-8); Central (15-7).
Officials: John Donley, Jim Buchanan, Joe Bilka.
JV: Hollidaysburg, 62-16. High scorers-A. McClain, H, 19; McGraw, C, 6.
