By Don Ketchum

The third time was not the charm. Neither was the forth. Nor the fifth.

Peoria Liberty just can’t seem to find a way to defeat Peoria High in girls’ basketball.

Liberty’s 58-47 loss to Peoria in a Division II quarterfinal game on Tuesday night (Feb. 21) at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix was its fifth of the season.

Liberty had pushed Peoria in the Division II, Section II championship game, falling by two points, and gave a spirited battle in the first half of Tuesday night’s game. But Peoria picked up the pace considerably in the second half, using a 17-5 run in the third quarter to gain control.

Peoria  (29-4), the No. 1 seed, advances to Thursday’s semifinal at GCU against 12^th-seeded Phoenix Thunderbird, another team from its section. Tipoff is 6 p.m. Thunderbird gave the Panthers their last loss 64-54 on Jan. 31.

“When you play a team for the fifth time, neither team is really going to find something new,’’ said Peoria coach Leslie Saulsby. “Liberty is so well-coached (by Odell Berry), and we knew it would be a game.’’

Liberty (20-12), the eighth seed, trailed 23-21 at halftime. Peoria came out with renewed energy in the third quarter.

“At the half, we decided to make a few adjustments,’’ Saulsby said.

Such as?

“Put more pressure on them, be more aggressive on defense,’’ he said.

Peoria scored its 17 points in the third before Liberty scored its first points with 1:58 left.

Peoria’s last nine points came on 3-pointers, two by Taylor Blue. The Panthers hit nine from beyond the arc for the game.

Guard Felicia Foster led the Panthers with 21 points. Guard Alexis Camacho had 15, and Blue and CeCe Pearl had 10 each.

Ashley Honomichl scored 15 points to lead Liberty, including three 3-pointers.