FAIRVIEW — With the season on the line, a team tends to lean on its most reliable player for crucial baskets.

In the most critical moments of Slippery Rock's season, its leading scorer was stuck on the bench.

General McLane took advantage with stifling defense down the stretch and held on for a 37-34 girls basketball victory Saturday afternoon in a District 10 Class AAA quarterfinal matchup at Fairview High School.

The Rockets (14-9) stormed back from a 27-17 halftime deficit and trailed just 33-32 after Morgan Siebka fed Nicole Papley for a hoop midway through the final quarter.

The Lancers had an answer in the form of Leah Hansen.

The senior captain drilled a 3-pointer from well beyond the arc with 3:39 to play to give General McLane a two-possession lead at 36-32.

“She shot it from what we call ‘Leah Range,'” said General McLane coach Sarah Jay. “That range right there is nothing new to her.”

On the ensuing trip down the floor, Siebka was called for her fifth and final foul on contact underneath the hoop away from the ball. Her fourth came with under a minute to play in the third quarter on an illegal screen before the ball crossed halfcourt.

With Siebka fouled out, General McLane went all out.

“Morgan not only is a scoring threat, but she's a ball-handling threat” explained Slippery Rock coach Christin Miller. “As soon as she left the game, they knew that they really just needed to key on Riley (McGonigle) and make her life miserable ... and that's exactly what they did.

“Not having Morgan on the floor, not only as a dribbler and a scorer, but just an emotional leader, is something I think we've only had to once this season and it came in bad timing.”

Nicole Papley stepped up in the junior's absence and calmly sank two pressure-packed free throws to cut the gap to 36-34 with 30 seconds to play. Hansen responded by making 1 of 2 from the charity stripe to provide the Lancers (17-6) a three-point edge.

Although the Rockets struggled to find a high-percentage shot against the suffocating McLane defense, Papley managed to fire a trey as the final seconds ticked away. She hit back rim, followed her shot, collected the rebound but even if the last-second heave fell, it had no chance to force overtime as her foot was on the line.

“That was a real tough victory,” said Jay. “They were scrappy and they were a great team, but my girls, they just found a way.”

General McLane took control in the second quarter.

With Slippery Rock holding a 15-12 lead, the Lancers exploded on a 13-0 run and coasted into halftime with a 10-point cushion.

Katie Clark came off the bench for GM and delivered key long-range baskets during the surge. She finished with eight points and was 2-for-4 from 3-point range.

“My sixth man, she hit some huge shots,” said Jay. “They're just like bonus and it just gets everyone fired up.”

Jay admitted having Siebka head to the bench in early foul trouble helped fuel the run.

“I think it's right when Morgan Siebka picked up her third (foul). She's such a glue to that team and we knew it,” Jay explained. “She's a great leader out there. With her on the bench, that gave us a little bit of momentum.”

The Rockets began the third quarter on a 6-0 run with an Emily Campbell free throw, Haley Angerett bucket and Siebka 3-pointer. However, McLane maintained a 31-27 lead heading into the fourth quarter and never relinquished the advantage.

Despite the season-ending defeat, Miller was happy with her team's performance.

“McLane came out prepared. They're a very good team,” said the first-year Slippery Rock coach. “My kids never gave up.

“Overall, I'm exceptionally proud of the girls for the season that they've played,” Miller added. “I think we'll come back with a vengeance next year.”

Hansen had a game-high 13 points, while Lindsey Jahn added six points, seven boards and four steals.

Siebka finished with a team-high nine points, five assists and two steals.

Papley tallied seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while Angerett, who was forced to miss some action with an ankle injury but later returned, scored six points. McGonigle had four points, six rebounds and two assists.

SLIPPERY ROCK 34Morgan Siebka 2-7 4-4 9, Anna Cessar 1-4 1-1 3, Haley Angerett 3-10 0-0 6, Emily Campbell 1-4 1-2 3, Riley McGonigle 2-4 0-1 4, Nicole Papley 2-9 2-2 7, Breanna Northcott 1-2 0-0 2, Lauren Dietz 0 0-0 0.

Totals 12-40 8-10 34.

GENERAL McLANE 37Lindsey Jahn 2-10 2-5 6, Leah Hansen 4-15 3-4 13, Katie Rodrigues 3-9 1-3 7, T.L. Wreh-Wilson 1-5 1-2 3, Katie Clark 3-7 0-0 8, Michelle Jahn 0-1 0-0 0, Louisa Lytle 0-1 0-0 0.

Totals 13-48 7-14 37.

Slippery Rock 11 6 10 7—34Team 9 18 4 6—373-point goals: Slippery Rock 2-13 (Siebka 1-2, Papley 1-4, Angerett 0-6, Cessar 0-1), General McLane 4 ( Clark 2-4, Hansen 2-7, L. Jahn 0-2, Rodrigues 0-1, Wreh-Wilson 0-1).