STATE COLLEGE -- York Catholic defeated Northern Cambria, 52-40, this afternoon in the PIAA Class AA girls' basketball championship game at the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University.

It is the third straight state championship for the Irish, who are 103-2 over the past three seasons.

Freshman Kady Schrann led the Irish with 12 points. Senior Ashton Bankos added 11 points and five rebounds and Jenny McGann chipped in with 10 points.

Irish senior Kelly Rhein had a game-high nine rebounds.

"I thought it went pretty much as planned," said York Catholic coach Kevin Bankos, who is now 69-1 in two seasons as head coach. "Once we got up, we figured we'd slow the game in the second half and go from there."

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next for the Irish is the celebration. York County Commissioner Steve Chronister said the York Catholic caravan will get a sheriff's escort from I-83 to the county administration center (the old courthouse), where a presentation will be held to honor the team around 5 p.m. today.

The Irish trailed Northern Cambria, 12-11, at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Northern Cambria built its lead to 16-11 before the Irish scored six straight points -- keyed by Brittany Hicks -- to take a 17-16 lead.

The Irish continued to built that lead, and Schrann hit a basket with about a minute left in the half to make it 30-23 in favor of York Catholic at halftime.

York Catholic (34-1) kept its lead in double digits for much of the second half. A basket in the post by Rhein, a runner from Schrann and several defensive stops made the score 46-31 in favor of York Catholic with 3 minutes remaining.

At halftime, Hicks was the leader for the Irish with nine points on 3-of-6 shooting. Schrann and Bankos had eight points apiece. Northern Cambria was led by Brittany Sedlock's eight points.

"Big players make big plays in big games," Kevin Bankos said. "Kady makes them because she's just a big-time player. Kelly and Ashton make them because of the experience they bring to the team."

With three starters expected back next season, including top two scorers in Schrann and Hicks, the Irish will have a chance to make it four state crowns in a row in 2009.

While while Kevin Bankos has said he'll return to the helm in 2008-09, daughter Ashton Bankos, Rhein and a handful of other seniors are leaving York Catholic on top of the world.

"It doesn't feel like it's over," Ashton Bankos said. "It feels like we should have another game next week. I would do anything to come back and play with these girls."

For more York Catholic postgame coverage, check back throughout the afternoon.

And for Sean McLernon's live blog and staff photos from State College, go to: www.thelineupcard.com/sean_mclernon/