POTTSVILLE - The stage has been set for the rubber game of a three-game matchup between Marian and Williams Valley.

That’s thanks, in part, to Tuesday night’s District 11 Class 2A semifinal played at Martz Hall, where Coach Damian Fritz’s top-ranked Fillies scored a convincing 42-24 win over No. 4 seed Shenandoah Valley.

The Fillies, who inched just seven thousandths of a point (.695 to .688) ahead of Williams Valley to gain the No. 1 berth in the playoffs after both teams finished the regular season with identical 20-2 records, tuned up for the title game with their third win this year over Shenandoah, having previously defeated the Devils 45-21 and 49-11 in Schuylkill League play.

Meanwhile, the No. 2 Vikings chalked up a 65-15 win over No. 3 Lincoln Leadership, setting the stage for an 8 p.m. Friday night date at Blue Mountain High School.

The Fillies last took the floor on Feb. 11, dropping a Schuylkill League playoff tilt 41-39 to eventual league champion Schuylkill Haven in a matchup in which their second-leading scorer, Olivia Serfass, sat out with a foot injury. Serfass, who hasn’t played since Jan. 23, also rode the bench in a 41-34 loss to Williams Valley, who the Fillies defeated in Game 1 of the series, 28-23. She is expected to be in the lineup on Friday.

While the outcome of Tuesday night’s triumph was somewhat expected, Fritz’s team left no impression it was taking their counterparts for granted, racing out to a 13-0 lead right from the start, thanks to a suffocating defense that forced 10 turnovers in the first quarter.

“A win is a win in the playoffs,” said Fritz. “I wanted people to get experience. I wanted everybody in our program to play at Martz Hall in a district game. And now we get ready for Friday, which has been one of our goals all year.”

While the Fillies’ dominance was apparent, the Devils managed to stay in the game until the midway point of the second stanza, when they cut the Marian advantage to 15-13 after Morgan Labosky hit three consecutive baskets.

But, for all intents and purposes, that was the Devils’ last run, as the Fillies held their opponent scoreless for the next 11 1/2 minutes on an 18-0 run that put the game out of reach.

Fritz’s daughter, Addy, took over the main scoring duties, tallying 11 of those 18 points as the winners soared to a 33-13 advantage.

Meanwhile, Coach Fritz used a combination of lineups, utilizing everyone on his bench in the win.

“We all came in here knowing what we had to do,” he said. “There were some combinations in there tonight that typically don’t play together all year, but we had to get the job done and play as a team. I feel like I needed to do whatever was in my power to get our team back in the game and help us go to the championship.”

As for his daughter’s performance, leading the way with 15 points, he said, “She works really, really hard. She puts up a lot of shots at practice, outside of practice. You just believe and trust in your work. That’s the type of player she’s developing into. She’s not afraid to miss the first five or six. She’s going to make the next five or six. That’s why I love coaching her. Any coach would want one of their best players to have that attitude.”

SCORING LEADERS ... Deanna Pugh followed Fritz with 11 points, while Emily Carone netted eight, including two buckets from beyond the arc. Labosky led the Devils with 15 points.

RUBBER MATCH ... The Fillies and Vikings are ready to square off in Friday’s 2A championship game. “They’re a good team; well coached,” Fritz said of Williams Valley. “They put a lot of pressure on teams defensively, but we’ve been working on it. We know what they do. They do it very well, but I think you will see a different Marian team on Friday in what will be a really good matchup.”

MARIAN

Fritz 7-0-0-15, Pugh 4-2-2-11, Hasara 0-0-0-0, Thomas 1-0-2-2, Marek 1-0-0-2. Carone 3-0--8, Sophia Serfass 1-0-0-2, Hannis-Miskar 1-0-0-2, Gelatko 0-0-3-0. TOTALS: 18-2-7-42.

SHENANDOAH

Brittany Tufts 1-0-0-2, Brianne Tufts 0-0-2-0, Monaghan 2-0-1-5, Labosky 6-2-2-15, Castro 1-0-0-2. TOTALS: 10-2-5-24.

Marian 15 6 12 9 - 42

Shenandoah 3 10 2 9 - 24

Three-pointers: Marian - Carone, 2, Fritz 1, Pugh, 1. Shenandoah - Monaghan 1, Labosky, 1.

Records: Marian (21-3); Shenandoah (8-15)