District 3 championship live blog from Hershey

9:02 -- Nate Bollinger hits a running jumper with 3.1 seconds to play. Lancaster Catholic called a timeout with 2.7 seconds remaining. EASTERN wins 55-53 after a 30-foot attempt by the Crusaders hits the rim.

9:00 -- Eastern called a timeout with 21.7 to play. Eastern has the ball and has held it since the 1:05 mark. The Knights are looking to win their first district title since 1988.

8:55 Davin Zimmerman continues to play well, stealing the ball and running half the length of the floor to score a layup and tie the game at 53....2:37 to play.

8:50 -- Austin Tillotson called for a reach-in foul, his fourth personal foul with 4:29 to play.

8:50 -- It's Ryky Smith Time. The senior hit a 3-pointer and now Eastern trails by one.

8:46 -- Eastern starts the fourth quarter strong, tying the game at 48. The Crusaders call a 30-second timeout with 6:54 to play.

Lancaster Catholic holds for the last shot and Eastern York's Austin Tillotson picks up his third personal foul in the final minute of play. The teams enter the fourth quarter, Lancaster Catholic 48, Eastern York 45.

8:36 -- Lancaster Catholic's Paul Senkowski scores a bucket and earns a trip to the free-throw strip. Crusaders lead 45-44.

8:35 -- Lancaster Catholic has hit a trey and trails by one. They have a chance to take the lead with 3:23 to play in the third quarter.

8:30 -- Crusaders continue to keep it close, drawing to withing six after converting on a three-point play. On the next possession, Lancaster Catholic cut it to a four-point deficit.

8:24 -- So far this is a shootout -- exactly what Eastern wants. LC only allowed 44 points per game during the regular season, and Eastern is almost to that mark by halftime. On the other hand, can the Golden Knights continue to shoot this well?

8:21 -- Eastern heads into halftime with a 37-27 edge. Tyler Purvis has been marvelous for LC, his 17 points are the biggest reason they're still in this game. The Golden Knights shot 14-of-25 in that half, including 8-of-15 from 3-point land.

Andrew Nicholas and Austin Tillotson each have 10 for Eastern, while Davin Zimmer came off the bench to score eight second-quarter points.

8:17 -- Eastern can't shake Lancaster Catholic. The Crusaders trail by 10 with under a minute to play in the second quarter.

8:10 -- Little counter-punch here by LC. It reels off seven straight capped by a Phil Wenger coast to coast layup to cut the lead to 26-17

8:06 -- How's this for a start to the second quarter? Andrew Nicholas hits a reverse layup, and Lancaster Catholic counters with a trey. After back-and-forth action, Nicholas misses on a dunk. Eastern 25-10.

8:05 -- Lancaster Catholic failed to cash in on a layup at the buzzer. Eastern leads 23-7 after one quarter.

8:02 -- Eastern out to a 21-7 lead with 1:37 to play in the first quarter. Austin Tillotson has three 3-pointers in the first quarter.

7:55 -- Tillotson drains a 3 and later sets up Ryky Smith for an easy bucket. Golden Knights start fast and lead 5-0.

7:48 -- Starting lineups being announced now. Eastern's students making lots of noise -- they dwarf LC's student section.

7:47 -- Captains from both teams meeting at mid-court now. Looks like we'll get this one started a few minutes early. Always good for us folks with deadlines to contend with.

In any event, I'll be turning the blogging duties over Jim Seip in a bit.

7:41 -- Hicks confirmed the rumblings we'd been hearing, which is that she suffered a concussion during YC's semifinal victory. She found out she wouldn't be able to play last night, and gave an emotional, tear-filled pregame speech to her teammates beforehand. She described the victory as "bittersweet."

Jim Seip and Ryan Dixon will have full coverage of the game later. For now, we'll turn our attention to the Class AAA boys' final, as Eastern York faces off with Lancaster Catholic.

7:16 -- That's it. The York Catholic girls win their fifth-straight District 3, Class AA title by a final of 38-30. As the clock winds down, Bankos walks over to Hicks and gives her a hug.

7:14 -- This one all but over. Schrann going to the foul line again with YC up seven and 49.5 seconds left.

7:12 -- Two more free throws for Schrann to give her 22 points. That's followed by an LM turnover. Looking good for the Irish now...

7:10 -- York Catholic playing some keep away here. Bankos calls timeout with 1:54 remaining and the Irish up 35-30.

7:07 -- It's the Kady Schrann show here. This time she drives baseline and deposits a lay-up. She's either scored or assisted on almost every York Catholic bucket this half. The junior now has 20 points, and the Irish lead 35-28 with 4:11 left.

7:04 -- Wow, huge call here. A technical has been assessed to the Lancaster Mennonite bench. I believe it was called on an assistant coach. In any event, Schrann hits two free throws to give York Catholic a 31-26 lead with six minutes to go.

7:02 -- the Irish milking the clock on offense, but they're struggling to get many good looks against LM's 2-3 zone.

6:59 -- Once again, it's Schrann to the rescue. She steals and scores a three-point play with less than a minute to go in the quarter. That gives York Catholic a 27-26 lead after three. Anybody's game now...

6:56 -- Great dish from Jess Rheinheimer to Valerie Heisey ties up for Mennonite with about two minutes left. On the Blazers next possession, Rheinheimer draws a foul and hits a pair of free throws to put LM up 26-24 with 1:16 left in the third.

6:51 -- Steph Rheinheimer giving Mennonite a huge boost this quarter. Her 3-pointer cuts York Catholic's lead to one with five minutes left in the third.

6:44 -- York Catholic coach Kevin Bankos was concerned about LM foward Erin LaVenice coming into the game. She had just four points that half and six rebounds (none on the offensive end).

6: 39 -- Lancaster Mennonite has as many shot attempts (12) as it does turnovers (12). Shrann is York Catholic's leading scorer so far with nine points. Stephanie Rheinheimer leads LM with six points. York Catholic was 9-of-26 from the field that half.

6:37 -- Forjan's 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer is off, and the Irish go into the locker room with a 19-15 lead. Lancaster Mennonite can't compete if it keeps turning the ball over like this. The Blazers had 12 turnovers that half, including one in each of their last four possessions.

6:31 -- The Blazers couldn't hold Kady Schrann down for too long. She hits a mid-range jumper on one possession, then hits a trey her next time down the court. Mennonite calls timeout with the Irish ahead, 15-12.

6:27 -- Mennonite's Jessica and Stephanie Rheinheimer drain 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to give the Blazers a 12-10 lead early in the second.

6:23 -- Both teams with some nerves early, it seems. Nine total turnovers that quarter, and neither teams shooting the lights out, either. Forjan has four points for York Catholic, which leads, 8-4, after one quarter.

6:19 -- Catholic definitely missing Hicks' presence down low. LM's 5-foot-11 senior Erin LaVenice has four points and three rebounds early. The Irish, however, are making due. Kady Schran with a nifty spin and score in the lane to put YC up four with 2:25 left in the quarter.

6:16 -- York Catholic using its defense to produce buckets. Rachel Forjan steals and goes coast to coast to give the Irish an early 6-2 lead.

6:11 -- And we're ready for the tip...

6:06 -- We'll let you know more info on Hicks when we get it. Junior guard Giana Luppinetti will take Hicks' place in the starting lineup.

6:01 -- Big development here. Senior forward Brittany Hicks is not in uniform, and it doesn't look like she will play. This is quite a blow to the Irish. Hicks is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 13 points per game. She scored 13 in York Catholic's semifinal victory over Wyomissing.

5:52 p.m. -- Howdy folks. We're live from the Giant Center in Hershey for tonight's District 3 championship doubleheader. In about 23 minutes, the York Catholic girls will go for their fifth straight District 3, Class AA crown when they face second-seeded Lancaster Mennonite. Later, of course, the Eastern York boys will go for a Class AAA crown when they face upstarts Lancaster Catholic. Start time for that is slated for 8 p.m.

As I type this, the Steel-High girls just defeated Greenwood, 62-34, for the single-A title. York Catholic should be out on the court in a few minutes for warm-ups. We'll also be regularly updating the GameTimePA twitter account with score changes.