Titusville rallied from a double-digit deficit early in the fourth quarter, but Eisenhower (9-13) was able to put them away, with Delaney Chase’s jumper with 1:30 to go proved to be the difference.

“We haven’t really had a close game,” said Eisenhower coach Mike Logue. “My hope is we learn from this game going forward and have some success. This helps, being in this type of game.”

Chase’s jumper made it 38-29 EHS, but Titusville’s Braelyn Eldred was fouled shooting a 3 and made all of them to cut the deficit to 38-32 with 1:12 to go.

After a pair of Eisenhower turnovers, Abigail Patterson’s putback with 10 seconds left got Titusville within two, but the Lady Knights were able to close it out.

Times Observer photo by Andy Close Eisenhower’s Maddie Sleeman eyes up the defense.

Early in the game, it was all Ike, on Lydia Giannini’s Senior Night.

And it was the sophomore Chase who did a lot of the offensive damage early in the game.

“Delaney has been playing well and really leading the way the last few games,” Logue said. “That helps take the pressure of Lydia and Emiley.”

Combined with Emiley Wheeler’s back-to-back buckets to close out the first quarter, that gave Eisenhower a 15-8 lead.

The margin swelled to 23-12 on a putback by Giannini late in the second, and Eisenhower took an 11-point lead into halftime.

The Lady Knights took their biggest lead of the game, 30-16, on an old-school 3-point play by Wheeler, and looked as if they may coast from there.

But Titusville had other ideas, and battled back before ultimately coming up short.

Chase and Giannini both had 12 points and Wheeler 11 for Eisenhower. Giannini also had 14 rebounds, 6 steals and 4 blocks.

The Lady Knights will have a couple of days to get ready for the first round of the District 10 Class 2A playoffs, traveling to take on Sharpsville at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

“It’s been awhile, and the girls are excited,” Logue said.

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TITUSVILLE (36)

Eldred 3-5-5-11, Chambers 1-2-2-4, Finley 1-1-2-4, McGill 2-0-2-4, Scott 3-0-0-6, Patterson 3-1-4-7, Tucker 0-0-0-0, Totals 13-9-16-36

EISENHOWER (38)

Wheeler 4-3-4-11, Chase 6-0-4-12, Sleeman 0-0-0-0, Courtney 0-0-0-0, Giannini 5-2-6-12, Renninger 1-1-2-3, Mohney 0-0-0-0, Totals 16-6-16-38

By Quarters

Titusville 8 6 8 14 – 36

Eisenhower 15 10 10 3 – 38

Three-point FGs: Titusville (1) – Finley; Eisenhower – None