COLLIER TWP — Mars managed an impressive run to open its WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball semifinal Wednesday night.

It was two key scoring lulls, however, that doomed the Planets.

After opening the game with a 13-0 run against top-seeded Chartiers Valley, the Planets were on the wrong end of a 25-1 run that spanned the first and second quarters.

Then, after Mars had cut the Colts' lead to six points early in the third, it endured nearly five scoreless minutes.

The two droughts were too much for the Planets to overcome as they dropped a 63-55 decision on the Colts' floor.

“We played so well Saturday (in a quarterfinal win over Trinity), I think it carried over into the start of today's game,” said Mars coach Rob Carmody. “Unfortunately, Chartiers Valley hit a couple of shots and we started to have some silly breakdowns on defense.

“It broke our rhythm and after the good start we had, we were never really able to get it back.”

Even with the erratic play, Mars still had a chance late. Trailing 50-36 early in the fourth quarter, the Planets found their range.

Treys from Bryce Cunningham, Austin Cote and Mihali Sfanos were part of a 19-9 run that brought the Planets to within 59-55 with 51 seconds remaining.

But Mars (16-4) would score no more as the Colts sealed the win at the free throw line.

“If you would have told me before the game that we'd score 55 points, I would have been happy with that,” said Carmody. “But Chartiers Valley did a good job of limiting our easy looks. When you're making shots, it allows your defense to get back and set up and they started to do that.”

The Colts (22-3) are no strangers to early deficits.

“We've been getting off to slow starts all year,” said Chartiers Valley coach Brandon Sensor. “I don't know what is it. We were getting open looks early and I was more upset with our play on defense.”

Seven players accounted for nine treys for the Colts, but in the second half, most of the team's key buckets came from Garrett Alauzen and Brayden Reynolds.

Alauzen, who tallied 16 points in the game, scored all eight of his third-quarter points in a span of 65 seconds, pushing his team's lead to 40-28.

Reynolds led all scorers with 26, 11 of them coming in the final quarter as Mars never got closer than four points.

“Brayden is Brayden and he's going to get his points,” said Sensor. “He's averaging about 25 per game. Other than that, we're pretty balanced with different guys stepping up every game.”

The Planets had a trio of players score in double figures — Zach Schlegel with 14, Mihali Sfanos with 12 and Tasso Sfanos with 10.

This is the first time in four years that Mars will not play for the WPIAL championship, but Carmody considers it a success.

“With everything going on this year, since the end of last season, people had to stay away from family and friends,” he said. “We got to have a season and every time these kids came to practice or a game, they were building relationships.

“Thirty years from now, nobody is going to remember the final score here, but they'll remember their friends.”

MARS 55Austin Cote 3 0-0 7, Zach Schlegel 5 1-2 14, Chris Dvorak 3 0-1 6, Tasso Sfanos 4 1-1 10, Nate Roush 0 2-2 2, Pete Gonzalez 0 1-2 1, Bryce Cunningham 1 0-0 3, Mihali Sfanos 3 4-4 12, Anthony Vargo 0 0-0 0, Pete Craska 0 0-0 0, Jonah Kozora 0 0-0 0. Totals: 19 9-12 55.

CHARTIERS VALLEY 63Brayden Reynolds 8 8-11 26, Frank Dervanik 1 0-0 3, Socrates Boulis 3 0-0 7, Garrett Alauzen 7 0-0 16, Carter Mastovich 1 2-4 5, Anthony Mackey 1 0-0 3, Joey Zajicek 1 0-0 3, Anthony Collura 0 0-0 0. Totals: 22 10-15 63.Mars 14 9 13 19 — 55Chartiers Valley9 23 14 17 — 633-point goals: Mars 8 (Schlegel 3, M. Sfanos 2, Cote, T. Sfanos, Cunningham); Chartiers Valley 9 (Reynolds 2, Alauzen 2, Mastovich, Boulis, Dervanik, Mackey, Zajicek).