Staff photo / Dan Hiner The Maplewood girls basketball team celebrates its win over Warren JFK in a Division VII regional semifinal at Massillon Perry on Thursday.

PERRY HEIGHTS — The buzzer sounded, the Maplewood girls basketball team ran onto the court and the cheers erupted from the Rockets’ side of the Massillon Perry gymnasium.

Maplewood not only beat Warren JFK in a Division VII regional semifinal on Thursday, but the Rockets punched their ticket to their first regional final appearance since 2013.

“We had players that had been working for this moment since they were younger, girls that had been dreaming about being in these moments, and they stepped up and played the game like women,” Maplewood head coach Stephanie Pykare said. “I can’t be prouder of them.”

For 10 minutes, Maplewood (23-3) seemed as though it was making every basket. Conversely, the Eagles struggled to get shots to fall.

That allowed the Rockets to outscore Kennedy 27-6 during that time, starting with a short scoring run in the third.

“JFK has a very good team – a lot of weapons, very well-coached – so we put a game plan together to contain those threats, and I thought we executed it so well,” Pykare said. “(The Eagles’) pressure is exceptional too, so we told (our players), we gotta take care of the ball, get out on the shooters, and they executed the game plan.”

A 3-pointer by Gianna Pompelia tied the game at 20 with two minutes to play in the first half. But the Rockets ended the second quarter on a 7-0 run to take the lead into the locker room.

That short scoring burst in the closing minutes of the half jump-started the game-winning run.

Maplewood grew its lead to 33-21 only 3:32 into the third quarter.

The Eagles (16-6) were held without a field goal for the first 6:28 of the period. Pompelia broke the drought with a layup off an offensive rebound, but the Eagles trailed 39-23 following the bucket.

Maplewood led 55-37 when it started playing keepaway with 2:30 to play, and the Eagles never threatened.

“You’re talking about most of the time we score 20 in a quarter, not 20 in a half,” Warren JFK head coach Marc Morgan said. “It’s one thing if they’re making shots and we’re making shots. That’s the kinda game we want. But if they’re making shots and you’re not making shots, then you’re chasing the rabbit. So even if you’re making a shot, if you’re not defending, what are you gonna do?”

Claire Urchek led all scorers with 23 points, with 13 coming in the third quarter. Katie Wear added 14 points, and Aliah Brumit had seven.

Didi Ryan was the Eagles’ top scorer with 14 points, and Pompelia also reached double digits with 10. Annie Phillips provided nine points off the bench.

The Eagles will lose two seniors from this season’s squad in Hannah Myers and Pompelia.

“Super, super leaders,” Morgan said of his seniors. “Get the kids in the gym in the offseason, they’re examples of the weightlifting parts of it, making sure people are accountable for the program and just pushing the envelope every day at practice.

“Yesterday’s practice, they got after each other. I almost had to end it because I was like, ‘We have a game tomorrow. We’re getting after it way too hard right now. I just want to get through this stuff.’ They’re doing that every day, and it sets the tone for our younger kids to see that.”

The Rockets will face Seneca East, which beat Western Reserve 45-33 in the first game of the regional doubleheader.

The opening tip is set for 7 p.m. at Massillon Perry on Saturday.

“We really just gotta take a look at them – see them for who they are, see them for who they’re not – and go out and play ball,” Pykare said.