CRANBERRY TWP — An errant shot deflected high off the rim, the basketball oddly coming to rest on top of the backboard.

The game wasn’t delayed long. Sarah Loughry took another ball and deftly flicked it above the backboard, knocking the other ball loose and enabling play to resume in a first-round PIAA Class 4A girls basketball tournament game Saturday at North Cathoilic High School.

“I just aimed and tossed it up there,” Loughry said, smiling. “Just concentration, I guess.”

The Trojanettes’ senior guard did a little bit of everything on this day, leading North Catholic to a 59-29 win over Penn Cambria. Loughry tallied 10 points, five steals, four assists and three rebounds.

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“Sarah is the heart and soul of this team,” North head coach Molly Rottmann said. “As she goes, we go. We have a very young team, and her experience and intensity on the court and in practice are so important to us.

“She never stops playing hard out there, never drops in intensity, regardless of the situation.”

The situation in the first round was a big lead early for the Trojanettes (23-4), who will take on District 10 champion Harbor Creek, a 44-43 winner over South Park in overtime, in the second round 7 p.m. Wednesday at Oil City High School.

North Catholic got off to a slow start Saturday as a layup by Makenna McCoy pulled Penn Cambria (12-12) within 5-4 nearly midway through the first quarter. But North sophomore Laren Reitz responded with a layup, Loughry with a 3-pointer, and the Trojanettes got rolling.

Those buckets ignited a 24-2 run that upped the Trojanette lead to 29-6 with 5:35 left in the first half. The Panthers never got back in the game as North led 34-12 at halftime, then scored the first 19 points of the second half for a 53-12 advantage late in the third quarter.

Rottmann began going deep into her bench before the third period was over.

“We did a better job of rebounding the ball, playing tight defense, and that got our offense going,” the coach said. “We’re a much more effective team offensively when we can get out and run.”

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While the Trojanettes shot 50% from the floor, including eight 3-pointers, Penn Cambria missed its first nine free-throw attempts and never sank more than three field goals in a quarter.

“We couldn’t hit a shot,” Panthers coach Josh Himmer said. “This was our worse shooting game of the year. I don’t want to take anything away from North Catholic and it’s no excuse, but we had a two-hour plus drive to get here.

“We’re not complaining. That’s the state tournament, and North Catholic earned the right to play at home. But we didn’t have our legs.”

The Trojanettes had a balanced offense.

Wehner had 13 points, including three treys. Weir had 12 points and three assists, Loughry 10 points and Reitz a team-high seven rebounds. Rottmann was able to get 13 players some game action.

“I don’t worry about who we’re playing, I worry about us,” she said. “We are so young. We have to stay focused on the floor. These girls do play very well together.”

Loughry has a lot to do with that.

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“I consider myself a passer,” the senior said. “But when I score a few points like I did today, it’s that much better for the team.”

Addy Hite paced Penn Cambria with eight points and six rebounds. The Panthers were plagued by 21 turnovers.

North Catholic has won 23 of its last 25 games, both losses coming to Oakland Catholic.

PENN CAMBRIA 29

Reagan Ronan 1-4 1-4 4, Tagen McConnell 2-3 0-0 5, Addy Hite 3-7 2-2 8, Avery LeMaster 2-5 0-4 4, Avayan LeMaster 0-0 0-2 0, Makenna McCoy 2-7 0-0 4, Rachel Fisher 0-1 2-2 2, Sophia Beard 0-1 0-2 0, Peyton Rabatin 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 11-29 5-16 29.

NORTH CATHOLIC 59

Brady Wehner 5-6 0-0 13, MacKenzie James 2-3 0-0 5, Sam Weir 5-9 0-0 12, Sarah Loughry 4-7 0-0 10, Lauren Reitz 1-4 3-4 5, Harmony Jones 3-8 0-0 6, Kate Vilosky 2-4 0-0 4, Lyndsay Luff 0-2 0-0 0, Emma Shoemaker 0-1 0-0 0, Maggie Tatar 0-2 0-0 0, Mia McDowell 2-2 0-0 4. Totals: 24-48 3-4 59.

Penn Cambria 6 6 7 10 - 29

North Catholic 17 17 19 6 - 59

3-point goals: Penn Cambria 2 (Ronan, McConnell), North Catholic 8 (Wehner 3, James, Weir 2, Loughry 2)

Wednesday: PIAA 4A Tournament, North Catholic vs. Harbor Creek, site and time TBA