From JS Online:

Town of Merton — Twenty-two days ago, Sussex Hamilton's girls basketball team hosted Arrowhead. The Chargers wouldn't stop fouling, couldn't hold onto the ball and suffered a 10-point setback.

Tuesday night, with the stakes higher, Hamilton fixed everything that ailed it.

The visiting Chargers were crisp against the Warhawks' press, pounded the ball inside and downed Arrowhead, 46-42, in a WIAA Division 1 regional semifinal. Hamilton got 13 points and nine rebounds from junior center Courtney Lemon, while senior forward Stephanie Kirchner had 11 points and senior guard Kerry Sullivan added 10.

Hamilton, seeded ninth, improved to 14-9 and will meet top-seeded Milwaukee Vincent in a regional final Saturday at Vincent. Eighth-seeded Arrowhead, which got a game-high 16 points from junior guard Jessica Goetz, ended the season 10-13.

"This was a lot different," said Hamilton first-year coach Dan Carey, who has led the Chargers to their first winning season since 1991. "We kept them off the line, and we didn't turn it over as much. That was the difference."

When the teams met Feb. 15, Arrowhead went 25 of 37 from the line and forced more than 20 Hamilton turnovers. Tuesday, the Warhawks were just 3 of 6 at the line and the Chargers had 14 turnovers.

"We really came together as a team," Lemon said. "We knew that this could be the last game and we wanted to continue onward."

Hamilton had a significant size advantage with the 6-foot-3 Lemon and the 6-1 Kirchner. They key was beating Arrowhead's 2-1-2 press, then attacking the hoop.

The Warhawks' press worked early, though, as they forced six Hamilton turnovers in seven possessions during one stretch and took a 22-16 lead early in the third quarter. But the Chargers began beating the press with crisp passes, rather than trying to defeat it with the dribble.

During a 9-minute stretch in the third and fourth quarters, Hamilton smacked Arrowhead with a 16-3 run and grabbed a 32-25 lead. The Chargers guards did a terrific job feeding the post, and Kirchner (seven points) and Lemon (four points) took advantage.

"One thing we've struggled with all season is being able to finish in the second half," Arrowhead coach Heidi Hamilton said. "That was never more true than tonight."

Arrowhead pulled within four points on two occasions, including the final score. But the Chargers had all the answers.

Hamilton was 10 of 12 from the line in the fourth quarter, including five of six by Sullivan. And the Chargers, who had assists on 15 of their 16 field goals, continued to attack the paint.

Now, the Chargers get three-time defending state champion Vincent.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Lemon, whose team has been ousted by Vincent the past two years. "Third time's the charm."