CLARION — Union did everything it wanted to do against Coudersport in Saturday's District 9 Class A girls championship game — except walk off the floor with its first district title since 2007.

Hannah Fink's short baseline jumper with three seconds left gave the Lady Falcons a 47-45 victory over the Damsels at Clarion University.

Jenna Matzinger had stripped a Union player of the ball near the basket, then flipped it to Fink, who easily scored just inside the paint for the go-ahead score.

Following a timeout with 1.3 seconds left, Union heaved the ball downcourt, only to have it picked off to end the game.

“We were far away from the play, but basically, I thought it was a foul,” said Union coach Josh Meeker. “I don't know how my girl had the ball, then didn't, but we were far away.”

“Elation,” is how Coudersport coach Brian Green described the feeling of the winning score. “That's a shot the kids do in practice. That's (Fink's) favorite shot.”

Union (22-4) had tied the game at 45 with 16 seconds remaining when Mariah Winchester scored a layup.

Winchester's 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter knotted the game at 39 and a basket by Tina Lipps had tied the game at 43 with 1:22 left to play.

Union had a chance to take the lead when Sierra Smith stole the ball past midcourt and had a breakaway, but missed the uncontested layup.

Union fouled on the rebound, which sent Delanie Cowburn to the free-throw line. She sank both shots for a 45-43 Falcons' lead.

Coudersport (24-1) couldn't build on the lead as a traveling call with 22.9 seconds helped set up Winchester's tying basket before Fink's heroics accounted for the final score.

“We played exactly the game we wanted,” Meeker said. “We wanted a low-scoring game and any time you hold Coudersport under 50 points, you give yourself a chance.”

In fact, the 47 points by the Falcons marked their lowest output of the season.

“That's a credit to Union's defense,” said Green. “That's the best anyone has played us all year. We didn't panic when we were down. That's why we didn't call a time out. There have been games we were able to score a lot of points in a short period of time.

“Plus, our girls have been through some big games,” Green added.

For the third consecutive playoff game, Union would erase a double-digit deficit, this time using a 13-3 run in a 3:11 span to tie the game at 23 with 2:03 left in the second quarter.

“I knew our girls would fight back,” Meeker said. “But fighting back takes something out of you. Some girls would ask to come out and I never had that before. I told them if they needed a break, tell me, even if it's to come out for 30 seconds. They didn't have anything left.”

Even after Fink's shot and the clock, Meeker still believed his squad would find a way.

“Our girls never think the game is over until the buzzer sounds,” Meeker explained. “We call a timeout with 0.3 seconds and told them it's never over.

“Then, they put 1.3 seconds on the clock and I thought, ‘Great, more time.' I still thought we had a good shot at it.”

Winchester led Union with 12 points, while Lipps added 11 points, all in the second half. Coudersport received 12 apiece from Brown and Fink and 11 from Cowburn.

The two schools have combined to win 20 D9 titles, including 10 of the past 12. They have met in the championship game four times since 2004: Coudersport won in 2004 and this year; Union in 2006 and 2007.

UNION 45Delani Priester 2 1-2 5, Mariah Winchester 5 0-0 12, Ashley MacKinlay 1 1-2 3, Sierra Smith 3 1-1 8, Tina Lipps 5 1-4 11, Daneka Stuart 3 0-0 6, Danara Hawk 0 0-0 0, Kassie McGarrity 0 0-0 0, Mackenzie Divins 0 0-0 0.

Totals: 19 4-9 45.

COUDERSPORT 47Tori Brown 4 2-5 12, Jenna Matzinger 2 2-4 7, Hannah Fink 6 0-0 12, Delanie Cowburn 3 4-5 11, Taylor Green 0 0-0 0, Jenna Gabreski 1 0-0 2, Keirsten Counts 0 0-0 0, Brailee Linden 1 1-2 3.

Totals: 17 9-16 47.

Union 10 14 12 9—45Coudersport 14 12 13 8—473-point goals: Union 3 (Winchester 2, Smith); Coudersport 4 (Brown 2, Matzinger, Cowburn).

Saturday: PIAA playoffs-Union vs. Homer Center, site and time to be determined