Julie Falk knew her team could be good.

But just how good would be the question.

Following Penn Manor's 52-39 win over Manheim Township Tuesday night in Neffsville, Falk and Co. know the answer.

"Right from the beginning of the season we knew we could do this," said Falk, after scoring 13 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.

The Comets' win, coupled with Hempfield's 55-51 victory over Cedar Crest, puts Penn Manor alone atop Section One with three games left.

Penn Manor (10-3 L-L League, 15-4 overall) holds a one-game lead over Cedar Crest (9-4, 13-5), Hempfield (9-4, 12-7) and Township (9-4, 13-6).

"They're playing with confidence," PM coach Bobby Graybill said after his team's fifth straight win. "They think they are a first-place team and they're grasping that."

"We played in the summer and pushed each other," Falk explained. "That's when the chemistry fell in place."

It was that chemistry that helped the Comets to a 16-5 first-quarter lead and later helped stop the Blue Streaks' 10-0 run early in the fourth.

Falk and Bianca Ygarza, who scored a game-high 21 points, set the tempo of the game. They combined for 13 points in the opening quarter, which the Comets closed on a 12-3 run.

"One of the things we wanted to do was to make them play to our tempo," Falk explained. "We weren't going to let them come back after we got ahead."

Ygarza pumped in six more in the second, while Kiersten Green netted eight of her team-high 20 points for the Streaks, as the Comets headed into the break with a 26-16 lead.

"I don't know if we're not mentally tough or what. We had a lack of energy in the pregame and it spilled over into the game," said MT coach Lance Wagner.

Penn Manor led by as many as 16 points in the third before MT put together a 10-4 run to end the third. Jordan Brewer scored six consecutive points for the Streaks to end the quarter and finished with 11.

Township clawed its way back in the fourth and closed the gap to six, 45-39, with 2:16 left but couldn't capitalize.

"If we get it to four who knows what would have happened, but we couldn't get that shot to see," said Wagner.

The Comets, who shot 19-of-23 from the line, hit five free throws in the final two minutes to secure the win.

"That was huge," Graybill said of free throws. "That's how you win these kind of games."

Penn Manor will have the chance to create more cushion in the standings when the host Hempfield on Friday. The Black Knights beat the Comets 47-27 in their first meeting.

"It's another first-place game. We're doing what we do and I think we are better than the first time we played them," said Graybill.

Penn Manor ends the season with Warwick and Cedar Crest with control of its own destiny.

"We don't have to worry about anyone else except ourselves," said Falk. "Everyone else now has to worry about us."