EAST STROUDSBURG - In the closing minutes, Weatherly had the intensity and the momentum.

It just didn’t have the finishing touch.

The third-seeded Wreckers clawed and fought their way back from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit - 18 at one point in the third quarter - but eventually dropped a 66-61 decision to second-seeded and host Notre Dame East Stroudsburg in a PIAA District 11 Class A semifinal game on Wednesday.

“We knew coming in here that it was going to be a dogfight,” said Weatherly head coach Corey Gerhart. “We got down just a little deeper than we (wanted). We battled back and had them on the ropes, but we just couldn’t finish it.”

Notre Dame held a 55-38 advantage with just over six minutes left in the game and Weatherly already in the one-and-one penalty situation.

Yet, the Wreckers responded with a furious 19-3 flurry over the next four-plus minutes using good ball movement and a choking defensive effort, that pulled them to within 58-57 when Antonio Colecio swished a long three-pointer with 2:05 remaining.

“That’s probably the best I have seen us turn up the defense all year,” said Gerhart. “We haven’t had a big comeback like that. Usually if we are down, that’s it. It was a good fight coming back, and we kept our composure.”

Weatherly had a chance to take the lead, but turned the ball over and Aaron Bailey - who was a thorn in the Wreckers’ side all night with a game-high 26 points - hit a jumper. Teammate Gary Natale followed soon after with a three-pointer from the corner that put Weatherly in a 64-57 hole.

The Wreckers’ Trevor Lowman dropped a three-pointer from left of the key that brought them to 64-60 with 27.9 ticks left, but that would be as close as they would get.

Notre Dame head coach Robert Mullen knew his team would be tested.

“Weatherly kids always play hard, and coach does a great job with them,” he said. “They were a very scrappy team on the boards, and No. 3 (Colecio) No. 22 (Scotty Zoscin), and No. 52 (Lowman) all shot the ball well.

“It was a real heck of a game, and we were fortunate to come out on top.”

Weatherly didn’t look like it was going to need a huge comeback to make things interesting early on as it jumped out to an 8-2 lead at the start of the game, and took its biggest lead of the first half at 22-15 when Lowman banged in consecutive threes.

However, the Wreckers went into a shooting slump, and Notre Dame responded with a 14-4 spurt that helped it to a 29-26 halftime advantage.

“They’re athletic, and I wish them the best,” said Gerhart of the Spartans. “I wish it was us going there, but it is what it is.”

LONG AND WINDING ROAD ... The Wreckers (15-7) will graduate seven seniors from this year’s team, most of whom have played together since their early youth. “To see them fight like that and not quit is rewarding,” said Gerhart. ‘I didn’t want to see them end like that.”

MARTZ HALL MATCH ... Notre Dame will meet top-seeded Nativity, who defeated Robert Clemente, 80-61 last night, in the district final in Pottsville on Saturday.

GOOD THINGS CAN COME IN THREES ... Lowman, who had five threes, led the Wreckers with 21 points. Colecio, who also had five treys, added 19. The Wreckers converted 12 threes from beyond the arc, while Notre Dame ES connected on 10 three-pointers.

SUPER SUBS ... Gerhart lauded the play of junior forward Ricky Ray and senior center Ethan Broskoskie, who were both productive off the bench.

WEATHERLY

Colecio 5-4-7-19, Zoscin 5-0-2-12, Broskoskie 0-2-2-2, Willis 0-0-0-0, Ray 3 0-0-6, Solonoski 0-1-2-1, Lowman 7-2-2-21, Ramirez 0-0-0 0. TOTALS: 20-9-15 61.

NOTRE DAME ES

Bailey 8-10-11-26, Natale 4-0-0-12, Medina 0-0-0-0, Seay 5-0-2-12, Spears 4-4-6-16, Wolf 0-0-0-0, James 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 21-14-19-66

Weatherly 19 7 10 25 - 61

Notre Dame ES 15 14 22 15 - 66

Three-pointers: Weatherly - Colecio 5, Lowman 5, Zoscin 2. NDES - Natale 4, Spears 4, Seay 2.