Mar 7, 2026 By Jerin Steele 4 min read

HOLLIDAYSBURG – Trinity brought the key elements needed to pull an upset on the road against a district champion.

Stout defense and timely three-point baskets.

Vitt Emerich provided the outside shooting, and as a team the Hillers frustrated Hollidaysburg with blocked shots, steals and suffocating man-to-man defense to win their first state playoff game in six years.

Emerich made five three-pointers and Trinity held District 6 champion Hollidaysburg to single-digits in three quarters in a 39-29 win in the first round of the PIAA Class 5A girls basketball playoffs Saturday afternoon.

“It felt really good, especially doing it on the road,” Emerich said. “You never know how you’re going to play when you have to drive two hours. You can be off or on and we were on today.”

The Hillers (19-8) advance to play District 3 champion York Suburban in the PIAA second round on Wednesday. The last time they won a state playoff game was in 2020. They were still alive in the tournament, but it was eventually canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Hollidaysburg, a state quarterfinalist last year, finished 18-5.

Trinity led from the five-minute mark of the third quarter on and punctuated their defensive effort by limiting the Golden Tigers to one field goal in the fourth quarter and five total points.

“Our defense was key, because it got more physical as the game went on,” Trinity coach Bill Poletti said. “We needed to be able to lock down defensively. We weren’t as sharp as we should’ve been offensively in the fourth quarter, but we were defensively. We’ve hung our hat on (defense) all year.”

A good example of Trinity’s defensive success was the job senior guard Kimari Behrens did on Hollidaysburg’s leading scorer Makenna Weimert.

Weimert was limited to eight points, half of the 16 points she averages per game.

“That was all Kimari Behrens,” Poletti said of their ability to slow down Weimert. “That girl is a defender. She took the challenge in practice. She told me she got it, no problem and when she said that I knew she’s locked in. She certainly was today.”

Behrens took pride in her defensive effort and the team in general. Hollidaysburg made only 10 baskets all game. Gabby Humphreys, Sutton Williamson and Bently Layhue had several blocked shots apiece.

“I was told to face guard (Weimert) and that’s what I did,” Behrens said. “I knew if she got past me my teammates would be there to help me out. Gabby Humphreys blocked her shot a couple times.”

Trinity led 16-12 after a grinding first half that saw only 11 field goals made between the two teams.

Hollidaysburg had a quick 4-0 run to tie the game out of the halftime break. Trinity responded with a 7-0 run. Williamson made a basket inside and Emerich followed with a three-pointer and converted a successful drive in the lane.

Emerich bookended the third quarter with a three, which gave Trinity a 30-24 lead. It was the final of the five she made. Emerich said it was her best week of shooting in practice and that translated into Saturday’s game.

“I was hoping it would carry over,” Emerich said. “I shot really well on Monday, so I was hoping I’d do so again on Saturday, which it did.”

Williamson made three at the top of the arc at the beginning of the fourth. Behrens followed with a basket and made a pair of free throws which put Trinity ahead 37-26.

Williamson finished with 13 points. Clare Padamonsky led the Golden Tigers with 10 points.

Trinity 8 8 14 9 – 39

Hollidaysburg 6 6 12 5 – 29

Trinity: Vitt Emerich, 17 points; Sutton Williamson, 13.

Hollidaysburg: Clare Podamonsky, 10 points.