A quiet conclusion to a fast second quarter had put Jersey Shore (16-7) in a mildly uncomfortable spot. But as quickly as that first basket had found the bottom of the net, the team would put its response in drive, flooring it again and again on the way to the finish line.

Peyton Dincher shifted into second gear, coming two rebounds short of a double-double within the third quarter alone on her way to a 26-point, 17-rebound outing. Junior Avery Depasqua contributed 7 of her 9 points within the period to go with two third-quarter steals, as the Bulldogs bulldozed its way to a 21-3 run, effectively sealing their 64-35 win and advancing them to their third straight District 4 Class AAAA semifinal.

“I think we all picked it up everywhere on the defensive end and offensive end,” said Dincher when asked about the resurgence. “We just defended, made sure everybody got their own towards, and we rebounded the ball really well.”

“It took a couple minutes to get going, but together, they got into that attack mode,” emphasized head coach Mike Schall. “It started on the defensive side of the ball.”

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Jersey Shore junior Avery Depasqua attempts a three-pointer during the team's District 4 Class 4A quarterfinal matchup against Athens, Thursday at Jersey Shore. The Bulldogs won 64-35.

While things started off slow offensively, as Shore shook off the residuals from a three-game skid on top of initially suffocating defense, its defense proved firmer, not allowing the Bobcats to score through the first five minutes of game time. Then, with a minute left in the stanza, the shots started to fall.

Dincher would connect on a contested, step-back three to unknowingly kick off a run, as Hannah Heaton followed it up with a fastbreak layup and Cailyn Schall capped the quarter with the team’s third trey. That carried into the second, as Kylie Schall put up the first five points of the quarter, Dincher added six of the next ten and the team as a whole put together a seemingly potent 23-3 run, giving it a 28-8 lead.

Things would briefly quiet down, as Athens put together a 9-0 run spanning the end of the second and start of the third. But as Shore’s dominant side had shown its head in the second, it would prove it was there to stay through the third.

Not typically known for her scoring, Avery Depasqua would kick off Shore’s response, draining a deep two at the top of the key to breathe a sigh of relief throughout Shore’s home gym. Two possessions later, she’d secure a steal at the other end before immediately starting the fast break, connecting with Cailyn Schall for an easy lay as the team put together six quick unanswered points to stifle Athens’s momentum.

From there, Depasqua and Dincher would go on to trade baskets, with Dincher drilling her third three of the night and Depasqua hitting a fast break layup to up the team’s lead back into the 20s.

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Jersey Shore's Kylie Schall looks to make a pass during the team's District 4 Class 4A quarterfinal matchup against Athens, Thursday at Jersey Shore. The Bulldogs won 64-35.

Dincher would put up the next six, grabbing two offensive boards on a putback and converting a four-point play, and Depasqua nailed a three off a dish from Dincher to cap the run, giving Shore an insurmountable 49-20 lead with two minutes to go in the third.

“The past couple games have been rough for me. But this game, I just played with confidence, attacked and every possible chance I could, and they ended up going in,” said Depasqua, who contributed nine points and four steals through the second half. “It’s important when everyone gets involved and everybody’s shooting.”

One last run would grant the Bulldogs their largest lead of the night at 37, with the running clock failing to keep them under double figures in the quarter. Though just two Shore players finished in double figures, six notched multiple baskets.

To go along with her near 20-20 double-double, Dincher contributed four assists and two steals. Cailyn Schall followed her up with 11 points and a team-leading five assists, with her and her sister, Kylie, combining for 16 points and eight assists. Hannah Heaton notched two fast break layups, one off her own steal, and five rounds. And Gracelyn Frantz contributed six points to lead the reserves.

With one week to mull over its tough loss to Loyalsock to close out the regular season, the team composed itself and played controlled, confident basketball on both sides of the court. It flourished amidst a high stakes outing, clinching its third straight district quarterfinal win, and now looks to carry that momentum into a run at the final.

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Jersey Shore junior Avery Depasqua looks to dribble past an Athens defender during the team's District 4 Class 4A quarterfinal matchup against Athens, Thursday at Jersey Shore. The Bulldogs won 64-35.

“I think taking those losses earlier just helps us in the postseason, just helps us learn from our mistakes,” said Dincher. “I think everyone did great, and I just expect this to carry over.”

“Even though everything was not going our way, things changed when we played together,” said Depasqua. “I think today just showed how good we can be when we play together.”

With the win, the Bulldogs will face No. 2 seeded Lewisburg for a shot at their third straight district championship appearance. Though the victory feels good, the going gets tougher from here, so the team will prepare accordingly.

“We have to continue to practice each day like it’s our last practice and the next game, play like it’s our last game,” said Schall on the skid. “We’ll get to work, and the kids have been through this tournament before. We relish the opportunity to play the next opponent and hopefully advance.”

Jersey Shore 64, Athens 35

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Jersey Shore senior Peyton Dincher attempts a free throw during the team's District 4 Class 4A quarterfinal matchup against Athens, Thursday at Jersey Shore. The Bulldogs won 64-35.

ATHENS (35)

McKenna Jarvis 5 1-1 13, Sara Bronson 1 0-2 2, Alissa Vough 0 1-4 1, Allison Kemp 1 1-2 4, Addy Wheeler 6 0-1 12, Megan Morgan 0 1-2 1, Olivia Lane 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 4-12 35.

JERSEY SHORE (64)

Peyton Dincher 10 2-3 26, Sophia Stover 1 0-0 2, Avery Depasqua 4 0-0 9, Cailyn Schall 4 2-4 11, Hannah Heaton 2 0-0 4, Jessa Milbrand 0 1-2 1, Kylie Schall 2 0-0 5, Gracelyn Frantz 3 0-0 6. Totals 26 5-9 64.

Three-pointers: Athens 3 (Jarvis 2, Kemp 1). Jersey Shore 7 (Dincher 1, C. Schall 1, K. Schall 1, Depasqua 1).

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Jersey Shore senior Hannah Heaton dribbles the ball away from traffic during the team's District 4 Class 4A quarterfinal matchup against Athens, Thursday at Jersey Shore. The Bulldogs won 64-35.

Records: Jersey Shore 16-7 (8-2 Heartland I).

TIM WEIGHT/Special to the Sun-Gazette Jersey Shore's Cailyn Schall drives pasts an Athens defender during the team's District 4 Class 4A quarterfinal matchup against Athens, Thursday at Jersey Shore. The Bulldogs won 64-35.