Chantel Osahor is the primary post player for the girls’ basketball team from Phoenix St. Mary’s, but that doesn’t mean she can’t shoot the ball.

The 6-foot-2 senior doesn’t put much arc on her shots – they are strictly line drives.

Given her success rate, however, St. Mary’s coach Curtis Ekmark says, “I’m certainly not going to mess with it.’’

The University of Washington-bound Osahor drilled three 3-pointers in the first quarter and the top-seeded Lady Knights hit 11 long-range shots for the game in an 80-34 victory over visiting No. 16 seed Phoenix Desert Vista in a Division I second-round game on Friday night (Feb. 15).

St. Mary’s (26-1), the defending champion, moves on to the quarterfinals on Monday (Feb. 18) at Arizona State’s Wells Fargo Arena, and will meet eighth-seeded Chandler at 7:45 p.m. St. Mary’s has two victories over Chandler earlier this season – by 26 points and 23 points. Chandler advanced with a 70-48 win over Scottsdale Chaparral.

“We’ve really worked on our shooting this year,’’ Ekmark said. “We have six kids who are capable of hitting multiple 3’s in a game.’’

“Chantel is a great matchup for us. She can go down in the post, or she can come out and make the 3’s. Whether it is her or someone else, we like to draw that defense out.’’

And when the defense comes out, Osahor’s teammates will drive by opponents or cut and get open, and Osahor will get them the ball. She arguably is the state’s best passer.

St. Mary’s had four players score in double figures – Ekmark’s daughter, Courtney, had 23, Brandee Walton had 17, Osahor had 15 and Chloe Johnson had 14. Courtney Ekmark had four 3-pointers.

Courtney Ekmark also suffered a cut across the bridge of her nose during a scramble for a loose ball in the first quarter, drawing a significant amount of blood. The junior had just 1 point at the time but came back and returned to form after she got cleaned up.

She did, however, leave the game late in the third quarter and went for precautionary X-rays. The fourth quarter was played with a running clock because the St. Mary’s lead was well beyond 30 points.

“I think that (cut) made her mad,’’ Curtis Ekmark said. “She came back and played like nobody was going to stop her.

“She’s a tough kid, though. She takes a lot worse from her brother at home.’’

Courtney’s brother, Andrew, is a freshman who plays on the boys’ basketball team at Phoenix Country Day School. PCDS was playing in the Division IV state tournament in Prescott and fell to Duncan 49-48. Curtis Ekmark was receiving periodic text updates from his wife, who attended that game.

Desert Vista got a solid game from its 6-4 sophomore post, Kristine Anigwe, who scored 9 points. She should continue to develop into a significant force.