EXETER — Sometimes, no matter how many times a coach stresses to leave the past behind, memories creep back in, and it takes time to get over it.

Valley View suffered a difficult loss at the buzzer to Dallas, ending the team’s quest to defend its District 2 Class 4A championship reign. But the Cougars had a reprieve with a third-place game against Wyoming Area, where a win would earn them a berth in the PIAA Tournament.

Still, despite being motivated to punch a ticket, they had to overcome a shaky start in the first quarter. Then, even after getting their energy back, Valley View needed one more spark.

That’s when Brady Bachman entered the game. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound junior provided defensive intensity, supplied a couple of key baskets and even had a nifty assist while seated on the floor after fighting for a rebound. His fight charged up the No. 4 Cougars, and they put away the third-seeded Warriors, 61-50, on Tuesday night at Wyoming Area High School.

Valley View (19-6), which reached the state semifinals last season, will play the second-place team from District 4 when the PIAA Class 4A first round starts March 6.

Wyoming Area ends its season 21-5.

“Everything just kind of came to me,” said Bachman, who had 12 points this season coming into the game. “Everyone was bringing me up. I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Valley View coach Mike Kurpis’ first key to winning, he said, was more balance offensively.

Noah Symuleski, Michael Muto and Jagger Roe were the only Cougars to score in the 46-43 loss to Dallas in the semifinals.

In the win-or-go-home game, Cash Roe scored a team-high 18 points. But he got a lot of help. Muto and Symuleski each scored 11, Jagger Roe and Bachman had seven each and Aiden Plotkin, another defensive specialist, chipped in with six.

“We had Bachman playing D, we had Cash in the post, Jagger making moves, Muto doing his thing, just everybody making plays, and we just had to finish and keep our minds on winning,” Symuleski said. “We didn’t want to lose.”

Wyoming Area players understood what was at stake in the elimination showdown. The Warriors jumped out to a 10-5 lead. Luke Kopetchny, the high-scoring junior, started the game with a 3-pointer and added two free throws. Drew Keating scored five of his seven points in the quick start.

Valley View regrouped, and Cash Roe and Plotkin narrowed the deficit to 10-9 after one quarter.

In the second, Kopetchny drilled another 3-pointer. That’s when Bachman came off the bench and was assigned to slow the career 1,000-point scorer.

He frustrated Kopetchny with physicality and tenacity.

“I wanted to face guard,” Bachman said. “That is what I have had to do since middle school: take the other team’s best guy. I wanted to limit his 3-pointers, and I wanted to get him frustrated.”

Then, the Cougars offense got going as Symuleski ignited a 15-3 run that shifted the momentum. Cash Roe contributed nine points in the surge, Muto had a free throw, and Bachman finished a fast break with a layup. Valley View answered Wyoming Area through the rest of the quarter and went to the half with a 31-23 advantage.

Valley View increased the margin when Muto made back-to-back 3-pointers in an 8-2 run, making it a 39-25 lead.

Wyoming Area kept fighting with Kopetchny’s athleticism and some long-range shooting from Mitchell Rusinchak. The Warriors closed to within 49-44 with 3:33 left in the fourth quarter, 53-48 with less than 2 minutes remaining and 57-50 with 59 seconds left.

Valley View’s defense slowed down the attack, Jagger Roe and Symuleski each made one of two free throws and Cash Roe closed out the scoring.

“The Dallas game was a heartbreaker,” Cash Roe said. “We tried our hardest, but sometimes things don’t go your way. At practice, we really locked in. We pushed hard. We knew Luke Kopetchny would get hot; we pushed the pace and were able to get the win.”

Kopetchny finished with 25 points and had 87 points in three District 2 Class 4A games this postseason. Rusinchak had 14 points, including four 3-pointers, all from beyond 23 feet.

Class 6A

Trey Newton had 33 points to lead No. 3 Delaware Valley to a 73-47 win over No. 2 Williamsport in the District 2-4 boys basketball subregional semifinals Tuesday night at Williamsport.

Tyler Lombardo added 16 points, and Harrison Bixby chipped in seven for the Warriors (16-8).

Delaware Valley will face No. 1 Wilkes-Barre Area, a 52-47 winner over No. 4 Hazleton Area in the other semifinal, on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Mohegan Arena for the district championship. It will be the Warriors’ first appearance at Mohegan Arena.

Ethan Chilson had 15 points for Williamsport (13-11).