MERCER, Pa. – Starting the game on a 37-7 run, DuBois Central Catholic won its first PIAA playoff game since 1999 with a 64-21 win over Jamestown in the opening round of the Class 1A girls playoffs at Mercer High School.
Also see: Otto Boys/Girls Win • D9 Boys Recaps • Brookville wins on buzzer-beater in OT
The third-place team out of District 9 DCC (15-12) led 42-13 at the half on its way to a PIAA victory for the first time since head coach Jordan Hoover was 13 years old.
The last PIAA win for the Lady Cardinals was in the 1999 quarterfinals over Serra Catholic, 75-70. DCC was making only its fifth PIAA appearance since that game.
Marina Hanes scored a career-high 16 points to lead DCC with Faith Jacob adding 15 points, Kayley Risser eight points, and Hope Jacob seven points.
Taylor Keener had 10 points for Jamestown with Alayna Cadman adding seven points.
DCC faces District 6 champion Williamsburg in the second round Wednesday, March 15, at a site and time to be announced.
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 50, NORTHERN BEDFORD 27
ST. MARYS, Pa. – Sami Straub led a trio of Elk County Catholic players in double digits with 14 points, as the D9 second-place finisher Lady Crusaders beat Northern Bedford, 50-27, in the opening round of the PIAA Class 1A playoffs.
Tori Newton added 13 points in the victory with Lucy Klawuhn chipping in 12 points. Syd Alexander also scored seven points.
ECC (24-4) was up just eight at the half, 22-14, but outscored Northern Bedford (17-9), the second-place team out of District 5, 28-13 in the second half with Newton scoring 10 of her points in the third quarter and Straub and Klawuhn each scoring six of theirs in the fourth quarter.
Leah Swanson had eight points for Northern Bedford.
ECC takes on WPIAL champion Union (New Castle) in the second round Wednesday, March 15, at a site and time to be announced.
UNION (NEW CASTLE) 47, CLARION 9
NEW CASTLE, Pa. – WPIAL champion Union (New Castle) held Clarion to a season-low nine points in picking up a 47-9 win over the District 9 fifth-place Lady Cats at Union (New Castle) in the opening round of the PIAA Class 1A playoffs.
The Scotties (19-6) led 17-1 at the end of the first quarter and 28-7 at halftime.
Kylie Fruehstorfer led Union with 22 points with Kelly Cleaver adding 13 points.
Natalie Durish had three points to pace Clarion (12-15).
Union will play D9 runner-up Elk County Catholic in the second round Wednesday, March 15, at a time and place to be announced.
BERLIN BROTHERSVALLEY 46, NORTH CLARION 22
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Going on an 18-3 first-quarter run, District 5 champion Berlin Brothersvalley beat North Clarion, 46-22, in the opening round of the PIAA Class 1A playoffs at Pitt-Johnstown.
Grace Sechler scored a game-high 15 points for Berlin Brothersvalley (19-5) with Jen Countryman adding 12 points and Ashley Brant eight.
Lauren Lutz scored nine points in her final game for North Clarion (20-6) with Maria Bauer adding seven points.
Berlin Brothervalley will face WPIAL runner-up Aquinas Academy in the second round Tuesday, March 10, at a site and time to be announced.
KNOCH 53, PUNXSUTAWNEY 44
PUNXSUTAWNEY – Knoch built a big first-half lead but then had to rally to beat Punxsutawney, 53-44, in the PIAA Class 4A first round at Punxsy.
The Knights (18-9), the fifth-place finisher out of the WPIAL, started the game on a 12-0 run and led 20-7 late in the first quarter after not allowing a Punxsutawney basket until 4:14 seconds into the game.
But the District 9 champion Lady Chucks (22-2) rallied to get within four, 24-20, late in the first half before going down six, 26-20, at halftime.
Punxsutawney then used a 10-1 run in the third quarter to take the lead, 30-29, on a 3-pointer by Danielle Griebel with 3:12 to play in the third quarter, and the lead grew to 37-33 with under a minute left in the quarter.
But Knoch tied the game at 37 on a basket by Cece Kosecku with 6:39 left in the game and then took a 40-37 lead on a 3-pointer by Nina Shaw with 6:06 left.
A Chloe Presloid free throw with 5:30 to play retied the game at 40, and the game was still tied at 42 after a Presloid hoop with 4:46 to go.
But the Knights went on a 9-0 run to seal the victory.
Shaw led Knoch with 18 points with Kosecki scoring 12 points and Hattie McGraw and Megan Basus each scoring nine points.
Presloid finished with 16 points, four rebounds, and four steals for Punxsutawney and finished her career with 988 points.
Danielle Griebel added eight points, four assists, three steals, and three rebounds, and Avary Powell had eight points and 11 rebounds.
Knoch will face WPIAL runner-up Blackhawk in the second round Wednesday, March 15, at a site and time tobe announced.
