SLIPPERY ROCK — Grove City High boys basketball coach Don Fee took a deep breath, shook his head and sighed.

He was at a loss to explain just how the Eagles fell in this District 10 Class AAA playoff game against Girard, 33-32, at Morrow Field House Thursday night.

“It's just, you know,” said a chagrined Fee, pausing before letting out another sigh. “Man. I don't know what to say.”

That's because this defeat was hard to describe.

Girard stormed out to a 17-7 lead after the first quarter before the Eagles regrouped on defense, bringing out a half-court trap that confounded the Yellowjackets.

The defense was so good, Girard (16-8) went more than 15 minutes without scoring another point.

The Yellowjackets were held scoreless in the second quarter, but Grove City couldn't take advantage of the drought and only scored two points in the period.

“They scrapped and held them scoreless in the second quarter and three points in the third,” Fee said. “It's not easy playing defense like that when you aren't scoring.”

When Girard guard Blake Byham broke the nearly two-quarter dearth with a 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter, the Yellowjackets still led 20-17.

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” said Girard coach Darrin Mayes. “We knew they play great defense, too. Don Fee, to me, is one of the best coaches in Western Pennsylvania if not Pennsylvania. They run some great stuff.”

Just to get to this game, Girard had to beat Meadville a mere 48 hours earlier.

That left Mayes with one day to prepare for the Region 6 champion Eagles (17-6).

“The first thing we put on the board in our room is defense,” Mayes said. “If there is one thing we can get good at, it's defense.”

Fee was well aware of how stingy Girard could be.

The Yellowjackets had given up an average of just 37 points per game this season.

“We figured the first team to 40 would win,” Fee said. “Neither team made it.”

Grove City appeared ready to snatch a win away from Girard when Donte Robinson hit a 3-pointer with 16.2 seconds remaining to give the Eagles a 32-31 lead.

But on Girard's possession, forward Garrett Brown drove the baseline and drew a foul, which sent him to the free throw line for a one-and-one with 8.5 seconds on the fourth quarter clock.

Brown calmly knocked down both free throws.

“He's an old-school kid,” Mayes said of Brown. “You should see the amount of time he puts in in the gym. In the offseason, the kid's in the gym every day, and you don't see that anymore. It's a tribute to him.”

Grove City had one last chance with 4.8 seconds left.

Senior guard Torin Smith received the inbound pass, but didn't have an open shot. Instead, he made a perfect pass up high to 6-foot-5 Jordan Patterson under the hoop. But Patterson's layup attempt with two Girard players draped on him kissed too hard off the glass and rolled out, sending the Yellowjackets into a frenzied celebration.

Fee lamented that his team was even in that desperate position to begin with.

The Eagles were 6-of-17 from the free throw line and missed six straight from the stripe down the stretch.

“That's by far the worst we have been all season,” Fee said.

The loss also denied Fee his 400th win as the Eagles' coach.

“There were a lot of tears shed in (the locker room),” Fee said. “It's disappointing, but it's not going to demean the season we had. Not many people gave us a chance to win the league. Once the dust settles, they'll appreciate that.”

GIRARD 33Blake Byham 1-7 0-0 3, Carl Lewis 4-5 1-1 10, Garrett Brown 2-4 0-0 5, Joe Swanson 2-4 2-2 6, Austin Ferrick 0-0 2-2 2, Joe Dunn 2-5 1-1 5, Kendall Bonnett 0-1 2-4 2, Brian McNally 0-0 0-0 0.

Totals: 11-26 8-10 33.

GROVE CITY 32Alec Goodwin 3-5 0-1 6, Donte Robinson 3-5 2-6 10, Torin Smith 3-6 2-2 10, Alex Hall 0-1 0-0 0, Matt Thrasher 0-5 0-2 0, Foster Reznor 2-5 2-4 6, Jordan Patterson 0-1 0-2 0.

Totals: 11-28 6-17 32.

Girard 17 0 3 13—33Grove City 7 2 13 10—323-point goals: Girard 3 (Byham, Lewis, Brown); Grove City 4 (Robinson 2, Smith 2)