GROVE CITY — Slippery Rock High girls basketball coach Adrienne Orris pulled her team into a huddle before the fourth quarter and tried to put everything into perspective.

"Right before we went out (for the fourth quarter), the last thing I said was, 'This is what stands between you and that opportunity to go back to the district championship game,'" Orris said. "'You either want it now or we're not going to be there.'"

The Rockets responded to the challenge.

Slippery Rock (21-2) opened the final quarter with 12 straight points to turn a one-point deficit into a double-digit lead on the way to a 61-57 win over Franklin (17-6) in a District 10 Class AAA semifinal at Grove City High Wednesday night.

Up to that point, neither team had led by more than four points in a physical game.

"We told the kids we had to eliminate runs," said Franklin coach Todd Wetjen. "They got that one run on us and it cost us."

Sarah Cessar keyed the spurt for Slippery Rock, sinking four free throws and hitting the Rockets' only 3-pointer.

Slippery Rock has been deadly from the perimeter, but Franklin's defense focused on keeping the Rockets from firing 3-point shots.

The duo of Karly and Kourtney Rhoads, who had combined to hit 94 of the team's 146 3-pointers this season, were shut out.

They didn't have many opportunities. Slippery Rock attempted just six shots from behind the arc in the game.

"You have to take the Rhoadses out of things," Wetjen said. "You have to limit the amount of times they touch the ball and the times they get shot opportunities. Our kids did that."

Instead of spotting up for 3s, Slippery Rock adjusted to the Franklin defense by driving to the hoop.

Karly Rhoads, who led all scorers with 22 points, was particularly aggressive in getting to the basket.

Because of that, Slippery Rock went to the free throw line frequently.

"We got to the line a lot more than we normally do," Orris said. "A lot of that has to do with the type of defense Franklin plays. They are in your face. They are as close to you as you can get."

Perhaps a little too close.

Franklin guard Sadie Gravatt and Cessar banged heads while diving to the floor for a loose ball.

Cessar escaped with a bump and a headache; Gravatt left the court with a cut above her left eye that was bleeding profusely.

But Gravatt returned to the game to the cheers of the Franklin crowd and nearly willed the Knights back into the contest in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.

"That little girl has more heart than any of the great players I have ever coached," Wetjen said. "I knew she was going to come back. That's the type of kid she is."

Cessar also returned and scored 20 points.

"It feels really good, but I don't feel real good right now," Cessar said. "It was great for our team. ... Franklin is a great team and they always play great defense. That was a true test."

Slippery Rock is in the district title game for the first time since the five senior starters were freshmen four years ago.

The Rockets will play Sharon, the only region foe to defeat them this season, Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

"This is our main goal since we were freshman," Cessar said. "We've been trying to get back. This year, we've finally gotten over that hump."

FRANKLIN 57Sadie Gravatt 5-15 1-2 13, Tiffany Witt 8-11 0-1 16, Kaitlyn Ritchey 0-2 4-6 4,. Natalie Hager 5-15 2-2 13, Autumn Witt 1-4 0-0 2, Carissa Dolan 1-1 1-1 3, Brooke Deal 1-3 0-0 3, Alex Gibson 0-1 3-4 3.

Totals: 21-52 11-16 57.

SLIPPERY ROCK 61Karly Rhoads 7-9 8-12 22, Ali Doyle 1-3 0-0 2, Kourtney Rhoads 1-7 3-5 5, Adele Campbell 3-4 0-0 6, Sarah Cessar 6-11 7-9 20, Taylor Crocker 0-1 0-1 0, Bre Northcott 1-2 0-0 2, Morgan Siebka 2-3 0-0 4.

Totals: 21-40 18-27 61.

Franklin 13 12 16 16—57Slippery Rock 13 10 17 21—613-point goals: Franklin 4 (Gravatt 2, Hager, Deal); Slippery Rock 1 (Cessar).

Saturday: Slippery Rock vs. Sharon at TBA, TBA