The Lady Spartans held on for a Section 2-AA road win over Shenango.

Laurel led 40-38 through three quarters and by six with two minutes left. The Lady Spartans sealed it when Jessica Conrad made a basket off a backdoor cut, with Ellen Shaffer earning the assist.

Laurel won the previous matchup on its home floor, 70-37.

“Shenango came out to play,” Lady Spartans coach Jessica Shevitz said. “They battled and definitely beat us in the transition game.”

Said Lady Wildcats coach Brian Turk, “I thought we had some opportunities to stay in the ballgame. We struggled with foul shooting. It came down to who made the foul shots and a couple more field goals here and there.”

Conrad recorded a team-high 15 points for Laurel (3-8, 6-13) and Brooke Dicks chipped in with 13 markers, nine rebounds and seven assists.

“At the end of the game when it’s close and we’re trying to play the clock, Brooke Dicks is taking more of a leadership role for us,” Shevitz said. “I felt she stepped up and made sure we controlled the clock like we needed to at the end.”

Shaffer added 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocks for the winners.

Freshman Angelina Sibeto supplied 18 points for the Lady Wildcats and senior Jenna Petrucci posted 10.

“The seniors have meant a lot and been through a lot for us,” Turk said. “This is the first year they’ve won more than one game.

“It’s unfortunate our seniors haven’t had more success with the amount of work they put in. I think the seniors helped develop and begin to turn around the program.”

Despite being out of playoff contention, Laurel still has something to play for. The Lady Spartans, who have no seniors on the roster, have yet to win two straight games this year. They close the regular season Thursday at Neshannock hoping to end on a positive note.

“We want to win our last game on Thursday. What team doesn’t?,” Shevitz said. “That a way to build into next year.

“All season long, I’ve been saying I’m looking for that level of maturity. I think putting two good games together would show me that and give us a boost going into the offseason.”