A memorable performance on a major stage can sometimes leave a player at a loss for words.

Take Jeannette's Ciara Gregory, for example.

Less than an hour after an effort that will be remembered in Jeannette for quite some time, Gregory stood outside her team's locker room with a wide grin stretched across her face and a gold medal hanging around her neck, trying her best to explain what had just occurred.

"It's just crazy," she uttered, shyly.

A long pause ensued.

"It's great."

Gregory's teammates call her "C," but her heroics Saturday unquestionably earned her an "A."

A freshman guard, Gregory scored Jeannette's final seven points in a 39-36 victory against Seton-LaSalle in the WPIAL Class AA girls' championship game at Duquesne University's Palumbo Center.

The win gave Jeannette (24-2) its first girls' basketball championship and emphatically added to the belief that Gregory could become a well-known commodity over the next few seasons.

"She's going to be a good basketball player" said Seton-LaSalle coach Bryan Bennett. "I thought she was one of the keys to the game. She definitely hurt us today."

That hurt came in the form of a two-minute, eight-second stretch that culminated in the Jayhawks pulling out the narrow win. Up to that point, Gregory's statistics -- seven points on 3 of 8 shooting -- were nothing special, but what she did from that point on was.

With 2:08 remaining and Jeannette trailing by two points, Gregory took a pass, dribbled to her left and drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key to put the Jayhawks ahead, 35-34. After Seton-LaSalle star Katie Gattuso scored on a layup to put the Rebels back in front, Gregory attempted a 3-pointer from the left wing. This time, however, she was fouled by the Rebels Molly Tuite, sending Gregory to the line for three free-throws with 52 seconds left.

At that point, Jeannette standout Kayla Cook, who was limited to two points, made a point of talking to Gregory in hopes of calming the freshman's nerves.

Said Cook, a senior headed to Division I Coastal Carolina, "I talked in her ear before she went to the line. I said, 'Ciara, just act like you're by yourself in the gym.' She has a great shot. She just focused and put them all in, all three of them. I was so proud of her."

Added Jeannette coach Janine Vertacnik, "Ciara had ice in her veins."

A 38-36 lead in tow, the Jayhawks thwarted the Rebels comeback attempt in the closing seconds by forcing a turnover and a missed shot. Then, after Gregory added another free throw, she finished the game by stealing a Rebels in-bounds pass to preserve the win.

"She stepped up," Cook said. "She's young and I think they might have underestimated her."

In all reality, Gregory's contributions shouldn't have come as much of a shock. She's the Jayhawks' third-leading scorer and has reached double figures 15 times. This wasn't the first time Gregory provided late-game heroics, either. She scored 10 points in the final three minutes of a 44-40 win against South Fayette in the WPIAL quarterfinals.

"I've coached her since third grade, so I've always known Ciara has had that in her," Vertacnik said.

Apparently, Gregory has had it in her for awhile, a track record of success that could continue to yield the Jayhawks even more dividends down the road.

"She was dominant in eighth grade. She was dominant in seventh grade," Vertacnik said. "When she was in seventh grade, she played on the eighth grade team. She was that kind of player.

"Anybody who watches her, you can see that she has the talent. She's going to be a player."

The Jayhawks will play Cambria Heights, the third-place team from District 6 Friday at 6 p.m. at Fox Chapel in the first round of the PIAA tournament.

Jeannette senior Kayla Cook, right, cheers as Jawhawks coach Janine Vertacnik accepts the WPIAL Class AA championship trophy Saturday at the Palumbo Center. Jeannette defeated Seton-LaSalle, 39-36, in the final.

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