The Wallkill girls’ basketball team had been together for a month at the beginning of the season before they played their first game.

It was a boring time to be a Panther.

If not for two late-added games last week, it would have been 13 days between the end of the regular season and Thursday’s Section 9 Class AA semifinal, but coach A.J. Higby was able to scramble Thursday and Friday to find two games for the Panthers.

“They’re just to play games,” Higby said. “You have to save two for the (Mid Hudson Athletic League) playoffs, and if you don’t make it, you’ve got to find two. I scrambled to find these two. What two great teams. Those two should be the (Class) A final.”

The Panthers beat the Beacon Bulldogs, 64-40, on Thursday and followed that with a 70-50 win over the Marlboro Dukes, both at Wallkill Senior High School. It was their first games since a 64-45 win over the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidents on Feb. 16.

“It was good because it would have been a couple of weeks of not playing at all,” said Zoe Mesuch, who led the Panthers with a game-high 37 points. “That wouldn’t have been great for sectionals. They were good. It was a good boost for morale going into sections with two good wins.”

Alex Dembinsky added 11 points for the Panthers.

Hannah Polumbo led the Dukes with 17 points and Gabby Murphy added 10.

“It’s great to be able to play that kind of competition,” Higby said.

“That’s a good team, and we played well. We played well the last two nights. I know. It’s coming.”

What’s coming is the Section 9 Class AA playoffs with a little bit of a different look after the New York State Public High School Athletic Association went to six classifications from five. The formerly Class A Panthers have joined the new Class AA.

The Panthers have earned the third seed in the tournament and will visit the second-seeded Valley Central Vikings on Thursday.

The Panthers and Vikings played each other on Dec. 16 to open the Wallkill Holiday Tournament, a game the Panthers won, 65-36.

“They’re pretty good,” Mesuch said. “They have a good big. They’re very athletic and fast, so we’ve just got to keep up with them. We should be OK. We’re ready.”

The Panthers’ starters are ready, but the last two games were also used in an attempt to get the Panthers’ reserve players ready for postseason play.

The starters played the entire first half, Higby mixed and matched in the second half, especially the fourth quarter in an attempt to get them experience. Behind the starting five, the Panthers have a host of first-year varsity players.

“We might be in good shape, maybe a little above it,” Higby said.

“Can we be better? Absolutely, but I’m also not at the point two years ago when I had 11 kids that it didn’t matter. You had a bad game. Sit down, and I’ve got four to replace you. This one’s a little bit tougher. They’re young.”