Now, even after only losing one game all year, the Lady Marauders came into the Sectional Semifinals on Thursday night as underdogs once again. Dunkirk was up against the No. 1 seed in Section VI, Class B1, City Honors – the third-ranked team in all of NY State – on Thursday, more than an hour’s drive from home, at Starpoint High School.

Good luck convincing anyone that Dunkirk is an underdog anymore.

The Lady Marauders dealt City Honors its only loss of the season, 85-74, on Thursday to earn a trip back to the Class B1 Sectional title game at Buffalo State College for the second time in three years.

“I’m just so proud of them. It was a battle,” said Dunkirk coach Ken Ricker. “… They’re improving, but our best hasn’t come yet.”

Dunkirk’s Jessica Beehler (13) brings the ball upcourt in Thursday’s game. Beehler registered a triple-double in the win over City Honors, getting 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. On Sunday, Dunkirk will play for the Class B1 Championship, at Buffalo State, at 11 a.m., against 2-seed Iroquois. OBSERVER Photo by Braden Carmen

Dunkirk (22-1, 5-seed) has run past almost every opponent this season, but City Honors (21-1, 1-seed) kept pace with the Lady Marauders in the first half.

After a 21-18 Dunkirk lead in the first quarter, City Honors ended the opening period with a 9-0 run – with all nine points from City Honors’ top two scorers, Kyra Wood and Desmonique Veal.

Dunkirk scored the first seven points of the second quarter over a two-minute stretch that featured a Tachiana Garcia 3-pointer and a pair of layups by Kymi Nance. Dunkirk led 28-27 at that point, and the score was within four points the rest of the half.

Wood and Veal accounted for seven straight points to give City Honors a 34-30 lead, but Dunkirk answered with the next six points, including a pair of Nadara O’Dell layups bookending a bucket by Jessica Beehler.

City Honors led 40-38 at halftime. After scoring eight of the first 14 points of the second half, City Honors held a 48-44 lead with just under six minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Dunkirk Lady Marauder Kymi Nance (14) defends City Honors’ Anna Gardner (5) in Thursday’s Section VI Class B1 Semifinal basketball game, at Starpoint High School. The Lady Marauders upset 1-seed City Honors and were led offensively by Nance’s 25 points. OBSERVER Photos by Braden Carmen

“I’m not going to lie, I had a lot of nerves coming in,” said Dunkirk senior Amari Carter. “But as soon as we got going and kept our heads up, I knew we were fine.”

From that point on, Dunkirk took over. The Lady Marauders finished the third quarter on a 15-2 run over nearly six minutes of play. Three different Dunkirk seniors had 3-pointers in the run, starting with O’Dell to take a 49-48 lead with 5:22 left in the frame, then followed by Nance and Olivia Smith 3-pointers to conclude the scoring in the period. After the third quarter, Dunkirk led 59-50 and never trailed again.

“You can’t get too cocky in moments like that. You never know what can happen. You have to keep your head up, keep pushing and keep fighting until the very last buzzer,” said Carter.

“They just feed off of it,” said Ricker of his team’s run on the floor together, referencing how he didn’t substitute for any of his five senior starters in the period.

City Honors cut the deficit to four points, 67-63, but couldn’t get to within one possession. While Wood and Veal combined for 54 points on the night – 32 from Wood, one of the top three scorers in Western New York – the Lady Marauders were able to hold on for the win.

As impressive as Wood was in the paint for City Honors, Dunkirk’s center Amari Carter overshadowed her in the second half. Carter finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds for the Lady Marauders.

“With the health [issues] she’s went through, I have the most respect for her,” said Ricker referencing Carter. “We told her all year, we won’t win without her.”

When asked what the performance meant to her, Carter said, “It means a lot, because there’s no I in team – we’re all family here. For me to step up and be big for them was very exciting.”

Carter was far from the only statistical standout for Dunkirk. Beehler had another triple-double – her sixth of the season – with 10 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, along with eight steals. Nance led Dunkirk with 25 points, along with six rebounds and four assists. O’Dell had 23 points, including the final six points for the Lady Marauders.

“There’s no stopping us,” said Beehler. “We know that we have to keep pushing. … We can do anything if we put our minds to it.”

Dunkirk now looks forward to a matchup with Iroquois, on Sunday morning at 11 a.m., at Buffalo State College. The winner will be the Section VI, Class B1 champion. Dunkirk is three wins away from a spot in the State Final Four.

“Since it’s our senior year, the fact that we can do something that’s never been done in school history, it’s amazing,” said Carter. “To do this our senior year, it’s even more special. … My hopes are high, I just want to prove everyone wrong.”