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WESTERVILLE — The Lakota West girls basketball team had to wait an extra two days to play what may have been their best all-around game this season to advance to the Division I regional finals for the second straight year.

The Firebirds were ruthless on defense and efficient on offense to knock off No. 12 Pickerington Central 59-36 Thursday, Feb. 28, at Otterbein College's Rike Center.

"Tonight was one of the best games we have played on offense and defense," West junior Alexis Rogers said.

"Sometimes we come out slow on offense, but tonight we came out and played both ends of the floor very well."

The Firebirds' pressure defense forced 22 Lady Tiger turnovers and held Central District Player of the Year Emilee Harmon to 12 points, six below her season average.

"Defensively we came out great and we played hard," West senior Amber Gray said. "Tonight it was an all-around effort, it wasn't just one of the guards playing defense or another guard playing defense it was all five of us inside and out."

The West onslaught began with 3 minutes, 57 seconds remaining in the second quarter when a basket by Erica Almady put the Firebirds ahead 20-18.

From there the Firebirds (24-1) scored 10 straight points and pushed their lead to 30-18 at halftime.

"A team like that gets a 10-point run on you, it's real hard to come back," Pickerington Central coach Ken Schneider said. "You got to keep it within a basket or two and keep with them punch for punch. You have to be patient and we didn't do very well at that."

The Lady Tigers trimmed the lead to 41-31 at the end of the third quarter, but then West turned it on again.

After a missed free throw by the Lady Tigers (21-5), Rogers buried a three from the right corner to spark a 10-0 run by the Firebirds that stretched lead to 51-32 with 3:49 remaining.

"I believe our defense created offense for us," West coach Andy Fishman said. "I really love the way our girls ran the floor...we made things difficult for them tonight."

Gray led West with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals.

"Amber just elevated her game at the right times tonight to show that there is a big difference between a great player who is a junior and a great player who is a senior," Fishman said.

Rogers chipped in 13 points and Almady grabbed seven rebounds to go with her six points.

West will face Ohio's No. 1 ranked team, Dublin Coffman, at 4 p.m. Saturday at Otterbein with a berth in the final four at stake.