Maria Stack came off the bench to provide the spark the Olentangy Liberty girls basketball team needed in the third quarter.

The sophomore guard scored a basket to give the Patriots the lead, then followed with a steal at halfcourt that she turned into a layup.

The four-point swing gave Liberty the lead for good in a 36-23 victory over league rival Upper Arlington in a Division I district semifinal on Wednesday at Dublin Jerome.

Third-seeded Liberty advances to play sixth-seeded Westerville South for a district championship on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Ohio Dominican’s Alumni Hall.

Elizabeth Hunt converted a 3-point play to pull the ninth-seeded Golden Bears within 25-23 late in the fourth quarter, but Addison Marston and Claire Mikola sparked the Patriots down the stretch.

Mikola’s basket started an 11-0 run to close the game. Marston had a pair of blocks sandwiched around a basket in transition, assisted by Mikola.

Mikola led all scorers with 14 points, going 6 of 8 at the foul line in the final minutes. She added seven rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks for the Patriots (23-2), who won both meetings against the Bears in OCC-Central Division play this season.

Stack finished with eight points, three rebounds, three blocks and two steals and Marston and Bower each had seven points. Marston also added six rebounds, four blocks and a pair of steals.

Ceylone Brooks had seven points and Hunt and Tatum Thrush added six points apiece for the Bears (17-7). Thrush had 14 rebounds and Hunt had five boards.

Also: Pickerington Central 68, Olentangy 46.