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Karson Swogger and Makayla Carles contest a shot from Haley Thomas. (Phoebe Potter)

The Bellwood-Antis girls basketball team’s road to Hershey came to a sad end Monday evening when the ladies fell to Bishop McCort 68-57 at the Altoona Fieldhouse.

The squad finished the season 25-5, and three of the five losses came to Bishop McCort, including one on a last second bucket in the District 6-AA championship game.

The Lady Devils came out fired up in Altoona, dreaming of making it to the state championship game in Hershey.

The first quarter was close as back and forth buckets between both teams ended the quarter in a 16-14 lead for Bishop McCort.

The Lady Devils and Lady Crushers scored the ball evenly in the first half, which ended 35-29 in favor of the Lady Crushers .

Credit Bishop McCort as they were able to take out one of B-A’s big scorers by playing a box-and-one on Freshman Alli Campbell, holding her to only 12 points on the game. Campbell was able to dish out 28 points the last time she played the Crushers.

Karson Swogger led B-A with her usual 20 point performance, but Freshman Emilie Leidig stepped up big for the Lady Devils knocking down three three-pointers in the first half.

Bellwood was looking for a run to start the third quarter but a strong-willed Bishop McCort matched the Lady Devils. The third quarter was in complete favor of the Lady Crushers, who outscored B-A 20-10, giving them a 16-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

If B-A could’ve held them on running the court, their chances might’ve been better.

“The biggest moments of the game were the two runs McCort had at the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd quarters. We did not answer those runs with one of our own and that 2 or 3 minute span decided the game,” said Coach Swaney.

Quickly into the fourth quarter a Swogger 3-pointer kept B-A with hope of making a run. Bishop McCort was able to go on a 5-0 spurt led by senior guard Haley Thomas who scored 26 points against the Lady Devils

B-A’s Makayla Carles finished the game with 9 points, including a big 3-pointer to cut the lead to single digits. B-A was forced to foul, but a good free throw shooting performance from Bishop McCort was able to seal the deal.

Head Coach Jim Swaney was dissapointed by the outcome but is proud of his players.

“I am not someone who second guesses situations though and I never think if I or the kids would have just done something different the outcome would have changed. We played our hearts out and they were better on that night.Congratulations to them but I would not trade our kids for anyone anywhere. Our kids represented themselves, the school and community with a great work ethic. It is very disappointing right now but in time they will understand the accomplishment they had and will be stronger people by going through what we did,” said Swaney.

The Lady Devils finished as ICC North champions with their first trip to the Western Final since 1990.