SARAHSVILLE — Shadyside had become pretty much a constant in the Wheeling Hospital OVAC Class 2A Girls Basketball Championship game.

After appearing in five of the first six title games, the Lady Tigers have found themselves at home on championship Saturday each of the last five years.

That is about a change.

The third-seeded Lady Tigers fought off a talented Shenandoah squad Monday evening, 54-51, to earn a spot in the 2A title game, which will be played Saturday morning at 10.

“One of the goals we set the start of the season was to be playing on Saturday at OUE,” Shadyside head coach Serge Gentile said. “I am really proud of the girls for the amount of work and sacrifice they put in. Getting to this point isn’t easy. All eight people in our rotation played a pivotal role in this game at some part.”

Next up for Shadyside is a rubbermatch meeting with fourth-seeded River, which went on the road and knocked off top-seeded Steubenville Catholic.

“I don’t think we’d want it any other way,” Gentile said of the upcoming meeting with the Pilots. “It’s a rivalry game and anytime Shadyside and River play, in any sport, it’s going to be a fun one. It should be exciting.”

Before any focus could be shifted to the title game, Shadyside was a in a legitimate, 32-minute battle with the Zeps (15-5). It was a game that was played within no more than a seven-point window and featured 11 lead changes, including four in the fourth quarter.

Talented freshman Baylee Wach put Shadyside on top 45-43 with a nice drive to the basket. Shenandoah took the lead back when Dani Dimmerling got a rebound and goal.

However, that lead was shortlived. Shadyside senior Haylee Gregan buried her third triple of the game, giving the Tigers a 48-46 lead.

Shenandoah never recovered from there. Tiger frosh Tory Hendershot, who came up big time and time again in the fourth, drove in for a bucket, putting Shadyside back up by three.

Zeps senior Taylor Franklin, who led all scorers in the game with 24 points, meshed two at the foul line, but the Tigers responded with four straight points, including another Hendershot goal. Jaycee Mayeres and Syd Destifanes, who had a huge defensive rebound before being fouled, each sank one-of-two at the line to help keep the Zeps at bay.

“Both Shenandoah and us are very similar teams in terms of our size and even style of play,” Gentile said. “They’re aggressive on defense and it gave us some trouble, especially in the first half. I think we settled down in the second half and got some better looks. Every game isn’t going to be ideal where you play a perfect game. Sometimes, you have to gut out some wins and this was one of those games for us. We got a couple of key stops when we needed them and found a way.”

Shadyside held a 14-9 lead after one thanks to the early hot shooting of Gregan, who scored seven of her 13 in the first. Shenandoah got going behind Franklin in the second and climbed within two at 29-27 at the half.

With Franklin scoring seven more, the Zeps outscored the Tigers, 14-12 in the third for a 41-all reading entering the fourth.

“It was just a back-and-forth game and I thought we had control for a little bit, but we made some dumb mistakes,” Shenandoah head coach Eric Beskid said. “We allowed them to drive on us and we knew that’s what they wanted to do. It got to us late. Shadyside’a heck of a team and we knew that.”

The Tigers were led by Hendershot’s 17 points and seven rebounds. Gregan’s production backed her. Wach chipped in with nine and six boards. Freshman Brinley Steen scored seven, all of which came in the first half.

Though she only had one field goal, senior Jess Cicogna recorded five blocked shots for the winners.