While she wasn't aware of the exact figure, Molly Hendrick admitted her season scoring average "isn't that much."

Such is life when you're a defensive specialist, used primarily to stalk one of the opposing team's leading scorers.

But in an ironic twist Tuesday night, Hendrick was the one being stalked by game's end.

Powered by Hendrick's game-high 13 points, which matched a career-high for Manheim Township's junior guard, the Blue Streaks outlasted gritty Shippensburg for a 45-30 District Three Class AAAA first-round playoff victory in Neffsville.

The win puts fourth-seeded Township (21-3) in Friday's quarterfinals opposite No. 5 seed Solanco (21-3), which advanced with a 60-59 double-overtime victory over Harrisburg Tuesday.

Friday's game is set for 7 p.m. at Penn Manor.

Township beat the Golden Mares, 36-33, in an L-L League Sections One-Two crossover game on Jan. 25.

Regardless, the goal now for the Streaks is to avoid a repeat of last year's district quarterfinals, in which they suffered a disastrous 31-13 loss to Wilson that ultimately derailed their season.

But, according to Hendrick, that's all in the past.

"I don't think we talk about that much," she said. "We know we have goals (this year)."

Ironically, those goals are still on the table thanks in large part to Hendrick, who was averaging 5.3 points per game prior to Tuesday.

"She wasn't really in our scouting report as a big (offensive) threat," Shippensburg coach Megan Carr said. "But someone else for (Township) stepped up when we were trying to stop other people."

More important for the Streaks — who battled through a lackluster first half in which they trailed 16-9 with 3:55 left until the break — was when Hendrick stepped up.

After getting back-to-back buckets from Kaitlyn VanTash (10 points) and Jordan Brewer to cut the lead to 16-13 with 2:00 remaining in the second quarter, Hendrick continued the run with a 3-pointer from the top that tied it at 16 with 1:24 left until halftime.

Another jumper from Hendrick just under a minute later gave the Streaks an 18-16 lead at the break — their first advantage since leading 7-4 late in the first quarter.

"It's funny, the last few days at practice and in the shooting games we play, (Hendrick has) been the best one," Township coach Sean Burkhart said. "So for her to get points in a big spot like that, it's awesome to see."

Burkhart also liked what he was seeing defensively.

Given the assignment of tracking Jenna Parson, Hendrick held the Greyhounds' scoring threat to two points by game's end. Meanwhile, the Streaks' other defenders were busy limiting Shippensburg scorer Aunjel Van Brakle to a team-high nine.

Still, despite pushing its lead to 24-16 midway through the third quarter, Township had trouble distancing itself from the 13th-seeded Greyhounds (16-7), who were still within four (30-26) with 6:30 left to play.

But after Hendrick knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing on the Streaks' ensuing possession to make it 33-26, Shippensburg never got closer than seven the rest of the way.

"We knew we had to win to move on," Hendrick said.

She played like it.

jfulginiti@lnpnews.com