St. Mary’s girls basketball players poured onto the floor, screaming, hugging, lifting each other in the air.

It wasn’t enough for the No. 1 seed Saints to prove themselves 25 times over, but with just two possible games left, St. Mary’s simply was not going to lose on Thursday, no matter what a talented Concordia Prep squad threw at them.

It’s what motivated the Saints to rally from a lackluster first half to an electric second for a 66-53 Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland B Conference semifinal victory.

Several Saints hit double figures, predominantly in the third and fourth quarters when they needed it most. Freshman Bailey Harris led her crew with 29 points.

“Every game, we say, ‘Let’s play for each other,’ ” said freshman Alex Vandiver, who had 12 points, “and I think we really executed with that.”

A trophy is the last fruit left to pick, and the Saints (26-0) will get it should they defeat St. Timothy’s at APGFCU Arena in Bel Air Monday at 4 p.m. Indian Creek will precede them in the C Conference final against Park School at 2 p.m.

Concordia bused fans in, filling up half the cozy bleachers, but even still, St. Mary’s fans jammed every available seat and every square inch of wall space around the floor. That energy feeds right into the bench, too. That’s what revitalized them after a slow first half.

“When one of us would make a shot, and we could just hear our teammates celebrate on the bench, that would just make you want to fight so much more,” Vandiver said.

St. Mary’s defense hounded Concordia heavily and quickly, but that proved to be to the Saints’ detriment.

Concordia senior Cori Barnes had no trouble hitting every one of her free throws, alongside a pair of baskets.

Moreover, after a brief early strike, St. Mary’s struggled to score, falling behind 14-11 after one quarter.

Frost continued to spread over St. Mary’s offense; the Saints still could not carve the paths they wanted into the paint, instead opting to fling shots from the perimeter that misfired.

Their only saving grace was their defense, gripping the handle of the shovel to slow Concordia digging them into a deeper hole. Kam Callahan put Concordia up, 18-11.

But St. Mary’s was not undefeated by fluke.

“We look for each other,” junior Bailey Walden said. “If I make a mistake, they pick me up. They picked me up in this game when I needed to be picked up.”

When junior Mia Novak broke her way in for a layup, it seemed to finally snap her Saints awake. St. Mary’s blocked a shot on the other end, and Walden scooped it and returned it for a layup and one, part of her 23-point night. Moments later, Harris spun and netted the tying basket and unleashed a triumphant scream.

As the two sides traded baskets, it seemed St. Mary’s had the control back, but it just did not have the answer for Barnes. The visitor launched the 3-pointer that locked in Concordia’s 25-22 advantage.

“The energy in the gym, and just for each other,” Walden said, “we all love each other so much and we knew this wasn’t going to be it. We told each other we need to work so hard for each other and do it for each other.”

The Barnes-led offensive effort catapulted Concordia to a 10-point lead in the third quarter.

“My girls know that they’re pretty good,” St. Mary’s coach Chuck Miller said. “And I think they just knew they had to dig deep, and God love them, they did. They went after them.”

The comeback began with a 3-pointer from Walden that put St. Mary’s ahead, but it would not hold. Despite it all, St. Mary’s simply could not contain Barnes. Once again, the senior guard drained a 3 from long range, securing a 41-39 lead after three quarters.

Harris secured St. Mary’s advantage from the free-throw line. Vandiver popped in two consecutive 3s before Walden did, too.

“A-Love, she finally found her range, and boom, boom, boom,” Miller said. “And Baily Walden, she’s Baily Walden. That’s what she does.”

Starter Anna Ervin fouled out, landing a blow to the St. Mary’s defense. But the Saints just kept going. Another Vandiver layup established the first double-digit St. Mary’s lead. Knowing full well that Concordia could quickly close the gap, the Saints told each other to lock Barnes and Hailee Ford down, to not give them even an inch to breathe.

“I think we started pressing up and locking down on defense,” Walden said.

Naturally, Barnes was the last person to score, but it did not matter. Harris had just hit four free throws in a row. She was the last to hold the ball, serene, already looking at her bench in anticipation, while Concordia scrambled around her and the clock counted down to zero.