LOWELL – Even with a double-digit deficit in the first quarter, Cathedral kept its composure at Tsongas Center Sunday afternoon.

After going down 16-6, the top-seeded Panthers put together a masterful 30-10 run to go up 36-26 at the half and cruised to a 69-49 victory over No. 3 South Hadley to claim back-to-back Div. 4 state titles. It is now their sixth title in nine seasons with three back-to-back crowns.

“It feels really great,” said Cathedral coach Clinton Lassiter about winning another state title. It’s believed to tie him with Malden Catholic’s John Walsh and Jack O’Brien for the most in state history. “So now, it is a battle for first place.”

After a slow start and signs of nervousness, Lassiter called a timeout trailing 16-6. The defensive intensity then stepped up as Cathedral (19-5) forced 13 of its 16 first half turnovers during the 30-10 run to go up by double digits.

“We wanted to play up-tempo and it starts on defense,” said Lassiter about the defensive pressure picking up late in the first quarter. “We weren’t making shots and we played slow in the first quarter. I think some of that was nerves and some of that was (South Hadley) making shots. We didn’t rebound at all in the first quarter and I think that slowed us down.”

Junior Hijjah Allen-Paisley was an integral part of the run as she netted nine of her 15 points in the second while also forcing two offensive fouls on South Hadley (21-4).

The focal point of the offense came off the hands of senior Jasmine Day-Cox as she compiled 20 points, nine boards, eight steals and seven assists.

“Obviously, (Jasmine) is such a great leader and a good person,” Allen-Paisley said about the senior. “I enjoyed playing with her and I’m going to miss playing with her next year.”

Day-Cox had eight points in the first quarter to keep the Panthers down only 20-15 after one.

“At some moment, we were just like follow (Jasmine),” Lassiter said about the lone senior. “Whatever she is doing, do what she’s doing. She fit in as the ball handler and she was crashing the boards crazy. She was scoring the ball outside and inside. She had that look in her eyes that she wasn’t trying to lose.”

Day-Cox with the seven assists also had a hand in 16 of the 25 made field goals and welcomed that pressure after a slow start.

“It feels good,” Day-Cox said about being the offensive focus. “Everybody knows I’m the only senior, so I feel like I just have a bigger responsibility. Like, if I see my team is crumbling – they’re upset that we’re down – then I feel like I’m the person who has to bring them back up. So, it was just like win or go home and I didn’t want to go home after coming all the way down here.”

In the third, it was junior Malani Smith (16 points) who stepped up as she sunk a pair of free throws as well as two triples late to push the lead out to 50-36.

Cathedral then outscored the Tigers 19-11 in the fourth to cement the victory.

For South Hadley, freshman Kate Phillips led with 11 points while Ava Asselin and Drew Alley each added nine.