For the past two weeks, ever since turning in one of their better efforts against Porter’s Chapel Academy, the St. Aloysius Lady Flashes had the rematch circled on their calendar as an opportunity to break their season-long losing streak.

They came out motivated and hungry, and in the end as winners.

Grace Upshaw scored a game-high 25 points and Kyla Goodlow added 17 as St. Al beat PCA 52-45 on Friday night for its first victory of the season.

“I felt like we’ve been progressing, and this game was one where we could finally break out and get it going. Which is good, because the playoffs are coming up,” Upshaw said. “This was one we knew we could get after playing them once. And being at home helped us a lot.”

Upshaw converted a steal into a layup, and then drilled a 3-pointer in the final 30 seconds of the first half to give St. Al (1-13, 1-4 District 3-AAA) a nine-point lead at halftime. It maintained that lead throughout the second half by getting some key baskets every time PCA (8-14, 1-3) started to close the gap.

PCA started the second half with a 9-2 run to pull within 31-29 midway through the third quarter, and then Jordan McDonald hit a jumper that sparked a retaliatory run by the Lady Flashes. Upshaw’s 3-pointer late in the period made it 40-31.

St. Al’s lead swelled to 12 points in the final two minutes. PCA made a late push to get as close as six points, but that was it.

“We set up some plays that they ran through and committed to them. Our shots fell for once, and their free throws were good,” St. Al coach Mary Miller Martin-Nez said.

Brittnee Martin led PCA with 10 points and Rheagan Smith scored nine. PCA was just 15-for-29 from the free throw line in the game, and missed a number of layups as well.

“I think the big difference was inside,” PCA coach Amanda Yocum said. “We didn’t make layups and we missed so many shots in the paint. Off the top of my head I’m guessing we missed 12 or 14 inside layups, under the basket, where it rolled around and came off. And then we were less than 50 percent at the free throw line. That’s the difference in 10 points right there. If we make those baskets, I think it’s a better ballgame.”

PCA will play at Riverfield Academy Saturday at 5 p.m. in Rayville, La.

(B) St. Al 65, PCA 32

Phillip Upshaw scored 14 points and Braxton Chewning added 12 points and six assists as St. Al’s boys’ team routed PCA (7-11, 0-4) for the second time this season.

The Flashes (7-9, 2-4) scored six points in the last 30 seconds of the first quarter to open a double-digit lead they never relinquished. They pushed the margin to 18 by halftime, 27 at the end of the third quarter, and as many as 35 late in the fourth.

Thomas Trichell scored 11 points and Sean Simpson nine for St. Al, which had beaten PCA 68-33 in their first meeting Jan. 5. Nine of St. Al’s 10 players scored.

“We did some good things tonight. We shot the ball a little bit better than we’ve done the last couple of games,” St. Al coach Eddie Pickle said. “The bench did a good job. It was a good team effort, and I’ll leave it at that.”

Jake Arias scored eight of his game-high 15 points in the second quarter for PCA, but the Eagles struggled mightily after that. Their only points in the third quarter came on three free throws, and their first field goal didn’t fall until Cole McClure hit a 3-pointer with 7:06 left in the fourth.