BUTLERTWP — Union has been down this road before.

The Golden Damsels (28-1) face defending PIAAClass Agirls basketball champion Serra Catholic (25-4) at 1 p.m. Saturday at Indiana (Pa.) University in a state western quarterfinal contest.

Union faced another Catholic high school in this round last year — Kennedy Catholic — and saw its season ended by a one-point loss on a field goal late in the game.

"That still eats at me,"Union junior guard Tiffany Corle said. "I can still see that girl dribbling, shooting, the ball in the air. ... It's bothered me for the past year.

"It's bothered all of us. It's driven us."

It's driven them right into a showdown against a Serra Catholic team that is 54-5 over the past two years and has four starters returning from last year.

The Eagles' only loss last season was to Clairton. This year, Serra Catholic has dropped a 57-55 decision to Duquesne, a 40-34 decision to Monessen in the WPIALClass A championship game, and decisions to Quad-A opponents Norwin and Canon-McMillan.

Serra Catholic has won 15 of its past 17 games and averages 69 points per game. Union has won 20 straight games and averages 72.6 points per contest.

"I watched them pound Coudersport in the District 9 title game and was very impressed,"Serra Catholic coach Bill Cleary said. "They play aggressively and they attack the basket.

"You can tell those girls have played together for a long time. Their style of play is very similar to ours."

So is their success. Union is 55-4 over the past two seasons and the program has suffered only two losing seasons in the past 32 years.

Serra Catholic is in the state tournament for the 13th time in 14 years, missing only in 1995.

"This is where we want to be,"Union coach Josh Meeker said. "Our seniors were freshmen when we lost a state playoff game to Serra Catholic right here in this (Butler)gym.

"They beat us pretty good that night. But I think we've gotten a little better since then."

Then again, so have the Eagles.

Union has three players averaging in double figures: Bethany Koch, Andrea Mortimer and Corle. Serra Catholic has four: Laura Grimm, Brittany Matta, Staci Menzies and Bria Gwosden.

Gwosden, a sophomore guard, scored 14 of her 19 points in the second half, including four 3-pointers, in Serra Catholic's 64-51 state tournament win over Farrell Wednesday night.

"Our sixth player last year was (junior guard)Aimee Ossler and she's starting now,"Cleary said. "We can match their experience.

"Their rebounding concerns me. They are so strong on the boards."

Koch has 29 rebounds in two state tournament games so far this year.

Meeker said the Damsels hope to match the balanced scoring attack they showed Wednesday, when five players scored between eight and 14 points in a 62-49 win over Penns Manor.

"We'll need to spread the ball around and play intense basketball for four quarters,"he said.

Meeker is 101-16 in four years at Union. A win Saturday would set a school record for most victories in a season.

Cleary is 405-100 in 19 years at Serra Catholic.