What Bethlehem Catholic’s girls’ basketball team had in the state final were answers, but the questions started being answered at the start of the season when they knew their best player, Taliyah Medina, would be out all year with an injury.

“Our philosophy has been the same all year,” said Becahi coach Jose Medina. “We’re going to work hard. There are things we’ve got to do and make the game ugly. They might not be the tallest, and they might not be the strongest, but they work the hardest together.”

So with Taliyah Medina cheering on the bench, freshman Kourtney Wilson was an answer who stepped up with the poise of an upperclassman.

Coach Medina had a quartet of point guards with which to rotate, and those answers were Jaleesa Lanier, Solei Rodriguez, Isabelle Rosario, and Keyara Walters.

On state final game day, Becahi forward Briana Barnard was dealing with a hamstring issue, but she answered by guarding North Catholic’s Tess Myers with her life.

“She gutted it out, and that’s who we are, and she did a wonderful job locking that number-23 up,” coach Medina said. “Offense comes and goes, but defense travels.”

Abby Brown was the Hawks’ starting center, who got in early foul trouble on Saturday, but she answered with 13 points at critical times. And Julia Zambo was the defensive answer when Brown had to come out of the game after those early fouls.

“We noticed they had three 1,000 point scorers, so for us, we hammered the defense,” coach Medina said.

Freshman forward Stephanie Donato was an offensive answer off the bench, and senior forward Taliah Peterson was a defensive one.

The Becahi coaching staff had a logistical answer to the noon start on Saturday in Hershey.

“We kept to the routine, and we rode the rickety bus up here in the morning,” said Coach Medina. “The girls were upset, but we said, let’s stick to what we’ve done.”

So the Becahi team of 16 including Kamryn Williamson, Kelby McNally, Cydney Stanton, Oneviah Scott, and Yvonne Perez jumped on the yellow school bus as they had all season long.

Even the Lady Hawk parents were an answer to a special request before cleaning and decorating the bus for the team.

“The parents did a great job of taking the phones away last night by 10,” said coach Medina, who has always and continues to believe in taking care of the small details so that the answers, the big things, will come.

“I’m so happy to work alongside a great staff, great kids, great parents, and such a great institution like Bethlehem Catholic. Bold that.”