It’s become almost routine for Bethlehem Catholic’s girls basketball team to sub-in a player who then hits a triple within seconds as was the case when Daviana ‘DJ’ Jones entered the PIAA Class 5A state quarterfinal game, saving the Golden Hawks’ first quarter against Abington Heights on March 16 at Pleasant Valley High School.

And despite its rocky start, Becahi went on to beat the Comets, 46-33, clinching a berth in a state semifinal on March 19, which will have been played past Press deadlines.

“I think it was the confidence from my teammates that helped me to put it over the top, and it’s not just me,” said Jones, who drained not one, but two triples to put the Hawks on the scoreboard after Abington Heights’ 8-0 lead.

“We started the game in man-to-man, they jumped on us, we had to switch the defense, then subbed, DJ came in hot, ready to go,” said Becahi coach Arnold Alleyne. “I’m so proud of that kid. She’s always ready. I’ve seen it in the past, so I had to go with what I’m familiar with, and she proved it right.”

The second quarter had a completely different look, and the Hawks shut out the Comets, taking a 21-13 lead at halftime.

“I told the girls that one thing that always travels is defense,” Alleyne said. “You never know when your shot might be off, but your defense will take you to any gym.”

Jones tied the game on a 3-pointer, and Ella Bincarosky had a 3-point play off a steal and a layup.

In the third quarter, Becahi center Akasha Santos scored on a half-court pass from guard Cici Hernandez, a play the Golden Hawk tandem executed to perfection all season.

“That’s four years of chemistry still building,” said Hernandez. “She knows what I’m about to do, so she knows what gap to get into. The only thing I have to do is put it in the right space, and she’s there.”

Abington Heights’ guard Madison Zalewski drained a triple as Comets coach Deanna Klingman called a timeout, and the basket did not count, but Becahi guard Kendall Nickischer’s triple did count, shot as soon as she entered the game off the Hawks’ bench.

Becahi guard Aliyah Brame went all the way on a layup to start the fourth quarter, and Santos scored again on a quick pass from Hernandez. Bincarosky hit a 3-pointer, as did Jones, her fifth of the game, prompting a huge hug from Coach Alleyne when Jones came off the court.

“He was saying he was proud of me, and Coach Arnold is like a second father to me, so feeling that embrace made me feel so good because when Coach Arnold hugs you, you feel like the most special person in the world,” Jones said. “He puts a lot of pressure on you because he knows how good you can be, and when you’ve finally reached that level of effort, you know you got there for yourself and for the team.”

Playing in a state semifinal will be a first for Becahi seniors Hernandez, Bincarosky, and Santos, as well as the rest of the Hawks.

“The hardest thing is that last game when you’re saying I coulda, shoulda, woulda, so the fact that we get to keep going, extending this time with my girls is a blessing, and getting to see something I’ve never seen before which is semifinals,” said Hernandez.

It will also be a first for Coach Alleyne as a head coach, who explained what it’s like to have a tight window of preparation for unfamiliar opponents.

“It was a scramble. You look at [the other team’s] schedule, start calling friends, start begging. Hudl is a great outlet. You reach out to 20 people, and you get five. I haven’t slept yet,” he said. “It’s a blessing. It’s not me. It’s the kids. They’re keeping their discipline and showing up in big games.”