TURNERS FALLS — It was a dominant championship game performance for Pioneer, which was crowned Franklin Tech Girls Summer Basketball League champions after rising above Mahar for a 61-33 victory on Thursday evening.

Mahar topped Franklin Tech 42-27 in the semifinals, while Pioneer faced Frontier, pulling away with a 52-48 in overtime on Tuesday, sending both teams to fight for a championship. With defending champion Frontier out, the floor was open Thursday for a new victor.

Coming off a dominant semifinal win, the Senators weren’t able to carry the momentum to the championship, falling to the Panthers.

“We were definitely the underdogs considering we only had six people, but I think we pulled through,” Pioneer guard Addison Harrington said of Thursday’s final.

The Panthers did more than just pull off a win, they soared to a victory. The six-player team came out with a fast start, knocking down eight 3-pointers in the first half alone. Strong defense down the floor and an urgency to score kept Pioneer ahead the entire game.

Pioneer jumped out early, holding Mahar scoreless for the first six minutes of the game. Three 3-pointers from Kyler McClelland with the addition of a triple from Emme Calkins put the club up 12-1 six minutes into the contest.

“Kyler (McClelland) is the shooter… so we just look for her,” Harrington said of her teams 3-point abilities.

The offensive energy continued throughout the game, allowing for open shots and passes up the floor. Pioneer extended its lead to 34-13 at halftime after Harrigton tossed up a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, allowing the Panthers to take a comfortable cushion into the break.

The Senators found more offensive urgency late in the second half, getting to the foul line after taking it to the hoop time after time. Even with a late offensive push, the Senators’ deficit was too large to propel themselves to a win.

Nevaeh Scribner led Mahar with 14 points, while Hayden Comeau had 11. Taylor Paluk and Thea Whitmore each had three points in the loss.

Harrington led the way for Pioneer with 18 points, followed by McClelland with 15 off five 3s. Calkins tossed in a matching 15 and Kiara Gruszkowski had eight in the win.

Calkins, a Northampton High School sophomore, was recruited to join Pioneer’s summer league team after talking to Harrington, her AAU teammate. With the Panthers down players and an opportunity to get in some extra summer practice, it seemed like the perfect match.

“Winning is good anytime,” Calkins said of the championship triumph.

The ’Hamp native will return to her high school Blue Devils with a newfound championship medal and experience to bring into the upcoming season. She helped Northampton reach the MIAA Division 2 Final Four last winter.

“My role is definitely bigger here,” Calkins said. “... it gets me ready for the season.”

The Panthers’ second-half effort sealed the deal, tossing in 27 points to complete the title-game victory. A streak from Harrington with 2:51 left in a game was tossed to Gruszkowski in transition for two. That was followed by a steal and bucket from Calkins to end the game strong.

With summer in full swing, teams still look forward to the upcoming year. Even with only six summer league players, Pioneer players say they look toward the 2024 season with a newfound sense of tenacity.

“This feels good,” said Harrington. “I think (winning) gives us a good confidence boost.”