STEUBENVILLE — In the words of Elvis Presley, the Catholic Central girls’ basketball team is going to have a “Blue Christmas” after Malvern turned the Mickey Barber Gymnasium into “Heartbreak Hotel.”

The Crusaders hit a 3-pointer to go up by 11 points just seconds into the fourth quarter, however, the Hornets came back to sting the Crusaders as the Hornets ended the game on a 23-10 run with Ella Debo delivering the game-winner on a putback at the buzzer lifting Malvern to a 56-54 victory Monday night on the road.

“Our key word for the last week has been focus, and we are struggling with that,” Catholic Central (4-5) head coach Rocky Bragg said. “We’re making uncharacteristic turnovers. We have talked about fouls on the perimeter. We have had quite a few of those fouls lately.

“I will take this loss. I decided to stick with the defense the girls wanted to play. I probably should have adjusted sooner when they got hot from the corner. That’s on me. I have to do a better job of making game adjustments, and I will.

“Our goal was to work the clock. We worked so hard to get the lead. We just put ourselves in positions that led to turnovers at bad times. We are going to get back at it at practice tomorrow and start to get ready for Madonna on Saturday.”

Another 3-pointer by hosts gave them a 48-38 lead, however, the visitors from Carroll County cut their deficit down to 52-48 with 2:18 left to play.

A layup by Mary Rohde pushed the home team’s advantage back up to six, but a 3-pointer by the Hornets made the score, 54-51. Then, the visitors connected from beyond the arc once again to knot the score at 54 with a little more than 15 seconds still showing on the scoreboard clock.

The Crusaders had possession of the ball with a chance to regain the lead, and the hosts called a timeout with 8.9 seconds remaining to be played. Catholic Central was unable to capitalize on its opportunity as the girls in white committed a costly turnover giving the ball back to the Hornets (5-4) with 6.6 fateful seconds left in the game.

The Crusaders played up looking to put pressure on Malvern, however, the Hornets opted to throw it long leading to a breakaway opportunity. The first shot rimmed out, however, Debo was able to gather in the rebound before beating the buzzer with the game-winning shot.

The 3-point line played a key role in the outcome of the game as Catholic Central tallied seven shots from long range enabling the Crusaders to build a double-digit advantage, however, the victors connected on five from long range enabling them to battle their way back into the game before ultimately winning it at the buzzer.

Catholic Central took advantage of what the Malvern defense was giving it as the Crusaders launched a lot of 3s from the wings throughout the night.

“I have a lot of confidence in our 3-point shooters,” Bragg said. “We are deep in 3-point shooters. Their not on every night, but tonight we were. They took advantage of their opportunities. They hit some shots. The key was not getting out of the zone and into man.

“Hustle was also involved. There were times where we got caught watching instead of reacting. Tonight is on me. We worked hard to build the lead. Our lack of focus, and my lack of focus cost us this game.”

Rohde recorded a team-high 16 points to lead the way offensively for the Crusaders, Shya Garcia scored 11 and Mara Delaney delivered nine.

Debo collected a game-high 20 points to lead the way for the Hornets, while Addy Mitchell tallied 15. Mitchell hit a trio of 3-pointers, while Debo netted two shots from long distance. Both players produced a pair of 3-pointer in the decisive fourth quarter.

“It was a good to play against a team the same size as we are,” Bragg said. “We can compete against schools our size. They are a good team. I think the lead got up to 11 at one point. We just made some little mistakes. Mistakes can come back and bite you at the end, and they did that.”

Malvern led 13-11 at the end of the first quarter before Catholic Central battled back in the second to take the lead. The Crusaders hit a 3-pointer to extend their advantage out to 25-18 before another bucket made the score 27-19. The hosts led 28-21 at halftime.

A 3-pointer by Garcia enabled Catholic Central to increase its advantage out to 36-25 in the third. The Crusaders led 41-33 entering the fourth.

“You cannot take a play off,” Bragg said. “You cannot take a play off against a team that is not going to give up. If you do, they are going to make you pay, and they did that tonight.”

Debo contributed 14 points in the fourth, while Mitchell chipped seven leading their team to the win in a dramatic finish.

Catholic Central is scheduled to play rival Madonna in a varsity-only game at noon Saturday on Joanna Bernabei-McNamee Court inside the Bill Barrett Gymnasium. The Crusaders defeated the Blue Dons, 44-18, Dec. 10 at home in the first meeting between the two teams.

“It is always a big game,” Bragg said. “It is always good to go back. It is good to see all the faces and friends. You always want to do well. You want to show them your best.

Malvern is slated to play Tuscarawas Central Catholic Saturday afternoon at home.

Malvern 56, Catholic Central 54

Malvern 13 8 12 23 – 56

Catholic Central 11 17 13 13 – 54

MALVERN (5-4): Mitchell 5 2-5 15, Sprague 0 0-0 0, Craven 1 0-0 2, Harmon 2 0-0 4, Debo 7 4-4 20, Smith 4 7-10 15, Wade 0 0-0 0, Long 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 19 13-19 56.

CATHOLIC CENTRAL (4-5): Lathem 1 0-0 3, Hoover 0 5-7 5, Dankert 1 0-0 3, Delaney 3 1-2 9, Balabin 1 1-2 3, Bolster 1 2-2 4, Rohde 8 0-0 16, Garcia 3 2-6 11, Rigaud 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 18 11-19 54.

3-POINTERS: Malvern 5 (Mitchell 3, Debo 2); Catholic Central 7 (Garcia 3, Delaney 2, Lathem, Dankert)