ROSS TWP — Mars junior guard Tai Johnson scored a game-high 22 points in helping the Planets post a 48-41 WPIAL Class 5A girls basketball quarterfinal win over Hampton Saturday afternoon.

Not bad for a player who feared her season was over.

Johnson was injured in the team's practice on Friday.

“She came to a jump-stop, but the top part of her foot kept moving,” said Planets' coach Dana Petruska. “She screamed and I thought she blew out her knee. I've heard that scream several times over the last 30 years and it's never turned out well.”

“I didn't know what I had done,” said Johnson. “I just knew that it hurt really bad.”

In reality, the injury was less severe. Johnson had tweaked her left Achilles, but was not sure she could play until Saturday morning.

“I didn't feel it during the game,” said Johnson, who missed the first five games of the season with a stress reaction in her right shin. “I don't feel pain during games.”

Those oblivious to the injury were none the wiser Saturday as Johnson knocked down eight field goals and tallied four steals at North Hills Middle School to lead Mars into the semifinals, where it will face Oakland Catholic on Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.

The Planets had momentum on their side with a 42-31 lead entering the final quarter. But Mars suddenly hit a wall, not scoring a point in the period until Bella Pelaia's basket with 2:48 left in the game. By the end of the quarter, the Planets had committed as many turnovers (six) as points scored in the final eight minutes.

“Not too good,” was Petruska's brief summation of her team's play late in the game.

However, the Talbots were not able to take advantage, scoring just 10 points in the quarter. Natalie Rydzak hit a 3-pointer to cut Mars' edge to 46-41 with 30 seconds left, but Hampton drew no closer.

Five turnovers in the fourth held the Talbots (19-5) back.

“We just didn't play well offensively,” said Hampton coach Tony Howard. “Mars had something to do with that.”

The Talbots held a 23-18 lead late in the first half before the Planets used a 7-0 spurt to lead 25-23 at the break. The run included a Lauren Wasylson trey and a pair of buckets from Pelaia.

Mars (19-5) was not slowed down by the break at halftime. The Planets made six of their nine field goal attempts in the third quarter and outscored Hampton 17-8 in the period.

“We held them down in the first half of the second quarter,” said Howard, “but then had some miscommunication and some breakdowns defensively. We lost focus.”

Pelaia scored 11 points for Mars and Wasylson added 10.

Laryn Edwards paced the Talbots with 14 points, Brooke Fuller had 12 and Ali Collins 10.

The Talbots and Planets split their two meetings in the regular season, with Edwards and Collins averaging 26.5 and 18.5 points, respectively in those games.

“We told our girls that if we're going to get beat today, don't allow those two to beat us,” said Petruska. “Make their other players beat us.”

HAMPTON 41

Laryn Edwards 4 5-6 14, Alison Collins 4 1-2 10, Natalie Rydzak 2 0-0 5, Brooke Fuller 6 0-1 12, Kate Schmitt 0 0-0 0, Olivia Bianco 0 0-0 0, Madeline Stevens 0 0-0 0, Julia Powers 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 6-9 41.

MARS 48

Alek Johnson 1 0-0 3, Lauren Wasylson 3 2-4 10, Nichole Sommers 1 0-0 2, Tai Johnson 8 5-7 22, Bella Pelaia 5 1-1 11. Totals: 18 8-12 48.

Hampton 11 12 8 10 — 41

Mars14 11 17 6 — 48

3-point goals: Hampton 3 (Rydzak, Collins, Edwards); Mars 4 (Wasylson 2, T. Johnson, A. Johnson).

Wednesday: Mars vs. Oakland Catholic, WPIAL Class 5A semifinal, TBD