By JON GERAMITA
jgeramita@ncnewsonline.com

Chelsea Brown wanted back in the game.

As the rest of the Mohawk High girls basketball team was up big in the fourth quarter, the junior forward pleaded with her coach to check back in.

“Come on, coach I’m fine,” said Brown, who found herself in foul trouble and suffered a knee bruise during the Lady Warriors’ 49-31 WPIAL Section 2-AA victory over Laurel.

“Chels,” coach Mike O’Lare smiled and said, “We’re gonna need you for Monday. Relax.”

That’s because fourth-place Mohawk (3-5 section, 8-11 overall) has put itself in excellent position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2001.

The Lady Spartans (2-7, 6-9) fall three games behind the Lady Warriors for the final playoff spot. New Brighton (3-6) is in fifth. It will host Mohawk on Jan. 28.

The Lady Warriors came out sharp, leading 9-3 after one quarter and went up 19-13 at the half.

Each of the eight field goals in the first half had an assist. The ball was rotated around the perimeter for 3-pointers by point guard Kelly Fox and Alyssa Natale. And even without Brown, who scored six points in the first two minutes of the game, for the majority of the half, Mohawk outrebounded Laurel, 15-7.

“I tell them that they have to earn respect on offense, nobody’s giving it to you — go take it,” said O’Lare, whose girls are averaging close to 35 points a game.

Mohawk’s defense, which has allowed 40 points in section play, has never been a question. It has kept the Lady Warriors in most games and made life miserable for Laurel.

The Lady Spartans never threatened but got within four (23-19) on Lacee Cutchall’s coast-to-coast layup midway through the third quarter.

Lady Warriors’ forward Teresa Westover went 6 of 6 from the line and hit an elbow jumper to bump the lead to eight, with Kelly Eichenlaub sinking a 3-pointer at the end of the third for a 33-23 lead.

“We’ve been talking for years about making (the playoffs), and we know we have a shot,” said Brown, who had eight points.

A win would have put Laurel right back into the playoff mix. Now, with games against Neshannock (7-2) and first-place Beaver Falls (7-1) still on the horizon, McGarrah said destiny isn’t exactly in her teams hands.

“We just made it a heck of a lot tougher,” she said. “It was a must win and we blew it.”

Natale had a game-high 18 points, including two 3-pointers for Mohawk. Westover added nine points with Fox adding a game-best five assists.

Other than Lindsey Sauers’ 10 points, nobody had more than four for the Lady Spartans.

Monday’s game at third-place Neshannock, which is tied with Riverside (7-2) for second place, isn’t exactly a must-win, but it would do wonders for Mohawk.

“During the year offense is going to get better, while hopefully the defense stays the same,” O’Lare said.

“We improve every day. It’s a great time of the year to start getting better.”