Warren’s girls basketball team may not have a lot of seniors, just the one actually, but when her team needed a boost, Taylor Childress delivered.

With Warren clinging to a 3-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter of the District 10 Class 5A consolation game against Harbor Creek Saturday, Childress stepped up and drained a 3-pointer to double the advantage and help propel the Dragons to the state playoffs with a 48-38 win over the Huskies.

“It gave us more of a buffer and lowered the pressure,” Childress said.

“We ran some stuff for her because she’s been making those three’s,” Warren coach Lisa LaVan said. “She did a great job. She played like a senior today.”

Warren’s Emma Ruhlman (15) puts up the first of her two 3-pointers over Harbor Creek’s Alexis Barton (13) during the first quarter of their District 10 Class 5A consolation game at the Hagerty Family Events Center, Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020. Ruhlman finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds to help lead the Dragons to a 48-38 win over the Huskies and a trip to the PIAA state tournament.

The shot seemed to boost the entire team’s confidence and started a 12-0 Warren (17-8) run that turned the 3-point edge into a 46-31 advantage. Harbor Creek (14-11) tried to climb back in it, but the Dragons held off the Huskies for the 10-point win.

“That was definitely what we needed,” LaVan said.

The game started as most Warren-Harbor Creek matchups do. Even.

Shaelie Born opened things with a 3-pointer to start an early 9-2 run for the Huskies. Lily Pulvino added the other six points, in addition to blocking a number of Dragons shot attempts. Emma Ruhlman’s three with 4:08 to play in the first started a 14-0 run for the Dragons. Childress followed with her first three of the game, then Ruhlman added another three and a field goal to give Warren a 13-9 lead after the first.

“We sometimes start slow, especially against Harbor Creek,” Childress said. “It was nice to come out and punch them in the throat.”

“Emma came out hot,” LaVan added. “We came out with confidence today.”

After a pair of Childress free throws started the second quarter, the Huskies started to cut into the lead. Alexis Barton and Pulvino hit back-to-back field goals to trim the lead to two, but Ruhlman came back with a basket to keep it a 4-point edge. Kelsey Stuart answered Pulvino’s free throw with a bucket to put Warren up, 19-14, at the midway point of the second quarter. Barton, Rylee Kapsar and Jenna Babay answered with the next three field goals to give the Huskies a 20-19 lead at the half.

Barton had a chance to complete a 3-point play to start the third quarter, but missed the free throw. On the next possession, Riley Childress, who had been held scoreless through the first half, drained a 3-pointer to knot it at 22-22. Teagan Paris’ layup a minute later put Warren back on top.

Barton tied it at the other end, but Paris came back and completed a 3-point play to give the Dragons the lead for good.

Kapsar put in a bucket to get the Huskies back within one, but Ruhlman came down and buried a three on the other end. Kapsar again tried to rally her team back with a field goal, but Riley Childress and Stuart answered with consecutive baskets to extend the lead to 34-28.

For the second time in as many quarters, Babay gave her team a lift late. This time, she connected on a corner-3 to cut the Dragons’ lead to 34-31 going to the fourth quarter.

“(Babay) on the wing hurt us last time,” Taylor Childress said. “We had a better gameplan against her today.”

A better gameplan indeed.

Babay leads the Huskies in scoring at just under 17 points per game (16.92). The Dragons held her to just five.

“Their next leading scorer only averages six or so a game,” Ruhlman said. “Even if you know nothing about basketball, you know you need to stop her. I thought Riley did a great job on her. We threw a box-and-1 at them, and didn’t lose her when we went to the 2-3 zone.”

Barton was the only Harbor Creek player to reach double digits with 10 points. Pulvino had nine and Born and Kapsar six each.

Ruhlman had a double-double with a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds. Riley Childress had 12 points, all in the second half, and five steals. Taylor Childress had eight points with Stuart adding six and Paris five.

The Dragons now turn their attention to the state playoffs. They’re the first Warren girls team to make the state playoffs in consecutive years in program history.

Warren draws the unenviable task of opening the state tournament with the defending state champion, and winner of 55 straight games, Chartiers Valley next Saturday at South Fayette High School with tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m.

“We get Chartiers Valley. That’s the ‘reward’ for winning the third-place game,” LaVan said. “We’re just going to go about our business. We’re always about playing the best competition.”

“We’re blessed to have another week together,” Ruhlman added. “We’ve got to just play Warren Dragon basketball.”

Of course, these Dragons are no strangers to stopping long winning streaks and relish the opportunity to do so again.

“We’ve just got to play how we know we can,” Taylor Childress said. “We’re not supposed to win, so the pressure isn’t there. And besides, we’ve pulled upsets before.”

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HARBOR CREEK (38)

Babay 2-0-0-5, Farrell 1-0-0-2, Barton 5-0-1-10, Pulvino 4-1-3-9, Born 2-0-0-6, Kapsar 3-0-0-6, Humphreys 0-0-0-0, Woll 0-0-0-0, Sidelinger 0-0-0-0, Smith 0-0-0-0, Przbylski 0-0-0-0, Total 17-1-4-38

WARREN (48)

T. Childress 2-2-3-8, R. Childress 3-3-6-12, Stuart 3-0-0-6, E. Ruhlman 7-0-1-17, Paris 2-1-1-5, G. Ruhlman 0-0-4-0, M. Beers 0-0-0-0, C. Beers 0-0-0-0, Ordiway 0-0-0-0, Munksgard 0-0-0-0, Albaugh 0-0-0-0, Total 17-6-15-48

By Quarters

Harbor Creek 9 11 11 7 – 38

Warren 13 6 15 14 – 48

3-point FGs: Harbor Creek (3)-Born 2, Babay. Warren (6)-E. Ruhlman 3, T. Childress 2, R. Childress.