Mohawk head coach and Knoch graduate Mike O'Lare presents a WPIAL Class 3A championship medal to one of his players Saturday.O'Lare has guided Mohawk to consecutive WPIAL crowns.

WEXFORD — North Catholic got the run it wanted.

The Trojanettes didn't get the stop they needed.

Paige Julian completed a three-point play with 1:10 remaining — wiping out North Catholic's only lead of the game — and paving the way for Mohawk's 54-48 WPIAL Class 3A girls basketball championship victory Saturday night at North Allegheny High School.

The win enabled the Warriors (17-4) to repeat as 3A champions and avenge regular season losses of 54-38 and 58-49 to the top-seeded Trojanettes.

“For a program like ours to come down here and win this thing two years in a row ... this is special,” said Mohawk coach Mike O'Lare, a Knoch graduate.

The loss snapped a seven-game win streak for the Trojanettes (18-3), who started two sophomores and two freshmen all season.

“Our youth caught up to us a little bit today,” North Catholic coach Molly Rottmann said. “For the first time all season, I thought our girls took the court a little nervous to start this game.

“This wasn't the Pete (Petersen Events Center), but the girls knew what was at stake.”North Catholic had won four consecutive WPIAL 4A titles and were 120-14 over five years, coming into Saturday.The Trojanettes didn't lose this game without a fight.When Hannah McDanel sank a trey with 4:42 remaining, Mohawk had a 44-35 lead and was seemingly in control.But North Catholic answered with a 10-0 run. Alayna Rocco buried a trey, Dacia Lewandowski sank a layup and Tori Dreva a trey. A Rocco steal and layup gave the Trojanettes their first and only lead, 46-45, with 1:20 remaining.“Maybe we didn't take some great shots during that stretch, but they (North Catholic) got on a run and our players were trying to answer,” O'Lare said.“You get into situations like that and sometimes, coaching doesn't do much. You count on the experience of your players and let them carry it out.”Julian is one of four returning starters from Mohawk's WPIAL title team of a year ago. She attacked the basket, drew contact and sank a layup, setting up her three-point play.“We really needed a stop there,” Rottmann said. “If we stop them and get the ball back, our energy level stays up.”Instead, Mohawk put the game away at the free throw line. Nadia Lape sank a pair with 33.9 seconds left for a 49-45 lead. The Trojanettes turned the ball over and Julian added a free throw with 29 seconds left.Two Lape free throws extended the margin to 52-45 before Lewandowski canned a trey with 12.1 seconds left.But it was too little, too late.Lewandowski, a Butler resident, led the Trojanettes with 16 points, adding six rebounds. Rocco had 12 points, Tara Lucot eight points, 13 rebounds and three assists, Drevna eight points and four assists.Freshman Ava Walker, one of North Catholic's leading scorers all year, picked up two fouls in the first 1:04 and was held scoreless for the day.“I never thought we'd get this far,” Rottmann said, referencing her team's inexperience. “But once you get here, you want to win.“Our girls are hurting in there,” she added, pointing to the locker room.Julian led four Mohawk players in double figures, scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds. Lape had 14 points and six boards, McDanel 13 points, Abigail Shoaf 12 points on four treys.“Our experience made a difference today,” O'Lare said. “I'm glad we played them twice in the regular season. We like to full-court press, but we learned in those games that didn't work against them.“It took all of us on our game to beat them, to keep them out in the perimeter. That team is that good. We got the early lead today and that was big.”<b>MOHAWK 54</b>Jordan Radzmynski 0-2 0-0 0, Abigail Shoaff 4-5 0-0 12, Paige Julian 5-8 5-9 15, Hannah McDanel 3-11 4-6 13, Nadia Lape 4-11 4-4 14, Alexa Kadilak 0-0 0-0 0, Alexis Shiderly 0-0 0-0 0, Erynne Capalbo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 16-37 13-19 54.<b>NORTH CATHOLIC 48</b>Alayna Rocco 4-16 2-2 12, Tara Lucot 3-9 2-3 8, Anna Waskiewicz 2-2 0-0 4, Dacia Lewandowski 5-16 3-3 16, Ava Walker 0-2 0-0 0, Tori Drevna 3-6 0-0 8. Totals: 17-51 7-9 48.Mohawk 20 10 5 19 — 54North Catholic12 13 8 15 — 483-point goals: Shoaff 4, McDanel 3, Lape 2; Rocco 2, Lewandowski 3, Drevna 2

North Catholic guard Dacia Lewandowski (12) looks for a teammate during the WPIAL 3A girls basketball title game at North Allegheny. Lewandowski led the Trojanettes with 16 points.