Dec. 9 District 9 girls and boys basketball recaps
GIRLS
OTTO-ELDRED 36, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 32
DUKE CENTER, Pa. – In a rematch of last year’s District 9 Class 1A championship game, Otto-Eldred overcame a slow start to beat visiting and defending D9 champion Elk County Catholic, 36-32.
“Neither team shot great,” Otto-Eldred head coach Shawn Gray said. “That was because both teams played suffocating defense.”
Otto-Eldred was limited to just two first-quarter points and trailed, 6-2, after the first eight minutes before getting back within one, 14-13, at halftime.
Katie Sheeler then hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored seven points in the third quarter to help the Lady Terrors take a 22-20 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Sheeler then hit another 3-pointer while going 5 of 6 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to help secure the victory.
“Katie made some clutch free throws down the stretch,” Gray said.
Otto-Eldred also got two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter from Anna Merry.
“Anna hit some big shots in the second half,” Gray said.
Sheeler finished with a game-high 20 points for Otto-Eldred with Merry adding nine tallies. Sheeler also had four rebounds, four steals, and three assists with Merry chipping in three steals and two assists.
Also for the Lady Terrors, Bri Heller had four points, three rebounds, three blocks, and three steals.
Gray praised the effort of both Heller and Brooke Close as being keys to the victory as well.
“Bri and Brooke led with their all-out effort, as usual,” Gray said.
Tori Newton led ECC with 12 points with Lucy Klawuhn scoring nine.
MONITEAU 62, KEYSTONE 39
KNOX, Pa. – Catherin Kelly and Allie Pry each reached double digits to help Moniteau to a 62-39 win at Keystone in KSAC Large School action.
Kelly led the Lady Warriors with 18 points with Pry adding 14 points.
Also in the win, Kendall Sankey had eight points and 15 rebounds and Abbey Jewart dished out seven assists to go with six points. Davina Pry added nine tallies.
Natalie Bowser had 17 points for Keystone with Ashlee Albright adding 12.
CLARION 39, UNION 22
CLARION, Pa. – Taylor Alston had a double-double to help Clarion to a 39-22 win over visiting Union in KSAC Small School play.
Alston scored 14 points while adding 11 rebounds. She also had five steals.
Sophia Babington also had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Cats with her sister, Gia, adding four points and three steals. Natalie Durish chipped in three points and eight rebounds.
Hailey Theuret led Union with seven points.
ST. MARYS 63, RIDGWAY 47
RIDGWAY, Pa. – Jaysa Snelick tickled the twine for 21 points to help visiting St. Marys topple Ridgway, 63-47.
Maura Caskey added 16 points for the lady Dutch who also got nine from Oliva Eckels.
That offset a monster night from Ridgway’s Jenna Kasmierski.
Kasmierski had a game-high 27 points to go with six blocked shots and five rebounds.
Gabby Amacher added six points and 10 assists for the Lady Elkers.
PUNXSUTAWNEY 63, CLEARFIELD 37
HYDE, Pa. – Punxsutawney went on the road and beat Clearfield, 63-37, with four Lady Chucks reaching double digits.
Avary Powell and Samantha Griebel led Punxsy with 12 points each with Olivia Burkett adding 11 tallies and Daniell Griebel chipping in 10 points.
Danielle Griebel also had five assists, five rebounds, and four steals with Chloe Presloid adding eight points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Burkett also had five boards, while Samantha Griebel added four assists.
Mia Helsel scored 17 points for Clearfield with Hannah Glunt adding 13.
COUDERSPORT 45, BRADFORD 23
COUDERSPORT, Pa. – Thirty combined points from Emma Chambers and Hallie Rigas lifted Coudersport to a 45-23 home win over Bradford.
Chambers netted a game-high 16 points with Rigas chipping in 14.
Emilee Ruter also scored eight points for the Lady Falcons/
Alanna Benson led Bradford with 13 points.
EISENHOWER 53, KANE 37
RUSSELL, Pa. – Eisenhower outscored Kane 33-15 in the second half en route to a 53-37 D9/10 crossover win.
Clara Steinberg scored 20 points to lead Eisenhower, 11 of which came in the second half. Bella Marino was also in double figures for Eisenhower with 10 points, while Mackenzie Dunn, Laney Belcher, and Lany Font had seven apiece.
Mia Anderson led Kane with 13 points, while Hailey Hillman added eight and Maya Smith seven.
COWANESQUE VALLEY 39, NORTHERN POTTER 31
WESTFIELD, Pa. – Cowanesque Valley got 10 points from Kyra Daley on its way to a 39-31 win over Northern Potter in the opening round of Cowanesque Valley’s Jack Bush Tournament.
Rebecca Martin had a double-double for Northern Potter with 12 points and 11 rebounds while adding two assists. Reagan Slawson also had eight points and six rebounds for the Lady Panthers.
NoPo will take on North Penn-Mansfield in the consolation game Saturday.
HARMONY 44, CURWENSVILLE 39
PHILIPSBURG, Pa. – Jaylee Beck knocked down eight shots on her way to a game-high 21 points to lead Harmony to a 44-39 win over Curwensville in the Philipsburg-Osceola Tournament.
Karleigh Freyer paced Curwensville with 14 points with Addison Butler adding nine.
Curwensville will face Moshannon Valley in the consolation game Saturday.
OIL CITY 67, BROOKVILLE 53
OIL CITY, Pa. – Riley Guiste had 16 points to lead Oil City to a 67-53 win over visiting Brookville.
Eden Wonderling paced Brookville with 18 points with Kerstyn Davis adding 17.
BOYS
RIDGWAY 41, ST. MARYS 39
ST. MARYS, Pa. – Aaron Sorg scored a game-high 28 points to lead visiting Ridgway to a 41-39 come-from-behind win over St. Marys in AML South action.
The Elkers trailed 32-30 going to the fourth quarter but outscored the Dutch, 11-7 in the quarter behind six points from Sorg, who hit five 3-pointers in the contest.
The win was the first for first-year Ridgway head coach Eric Herzing.
Tanner Fox paced St. Marys with 18 points.
DUBOIS 55, JOHNSONBURG 53, OVERTIME
JOHNSONBURG, Pa. – Freshman Maddox Bennett nailed a 3-pointer with about 12 seconds left in overtime to lift visiting DuBois to a 55-53 win over Johnsonburg.
The game was tied at 48 at the end of regulation before Johnsonburg took a 53-52 lead in overtime on the strength of five Jake Lobaugh points, including a 3-pointer.
But Bennet knocked down the biggest shot of his young career to give the Beavers the lead for good, and Johnsonburg missed a late shot that would have given it the win.
Tyson Kennis had a monster game for DuBois with 22 points and 17 rebounds with Cam Thomspon adding 14 points and Bennett nine.
Isaiah Jackon tied Kennis for game-high honors with 22 for the Rams with Lobaugh adding 13 and Aaron Myers 12.
PUNXSUTAWNEY 47, CLEARFIELD 42
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – Ryen Heigley led a trio of Punxsutawney players in double digits to lift the homestanding Chucks to a 47-42 win over Clearfield in a rematch of last year’s D9 Class 4A title game won by Clearfield.
Zach Presloid and Noah Kleaver each added 11 points for Punxsutawney.
Cole Miller had a game-high 18 points to go with eight rebounds for Clearfield.
Brazen Patrick added 12 points for the Bison.
OIL CITY 39, BRADFORD 38
BRADFORD, Pa. – Oil City held off a late Bradford rally for a 39-38 D9/10 crossover win.
Oil City led 23-12 at halftime, but Bradford came storming back, thanks to the play of Jake Franz, who scored 15 of his game-high 16 points in the second half.
Cam VanWormer led Oil City with 11 points, while Ethen Knox added eight, and Connor Highfield, Jake Hornbeck, and Sayyid Donald six each.
Chase Wineberg was also in double figures for Bradford with 14 points.
SHARPSVILLE 42, A-C VALLEY 36
FOXBURG, Pa. – Trailing by a point heading to the fourth quarter visiting Sharpsville erupted for 17 points in the final eight minutes to get past A-C Valley, 42-36.
The Blue Devils were down 26-25 going the final eight minutes but got 10 points from Liam Campbell to rally for the win.
Campbell led Sharpsville with 18 points with Luke Distler adding 11.
Jay Clover tied Campbell with a game-high 18 points for A-C Valley with Alex Preston adding eight points.
MONITEAU 65, KEYSTONE 53
WEST SUNBURY, Pa. – Three players scored in double figures to help Moniteau to a 65-53 win over Keystone in KSAC Large School play.
David Dessicino paced the Warriors with 18 points with Andrew Zepeda adding 15 and Aidan Jackson 14. David Martino also scored eight points, all in the fourth quarter, for Moniteau.
Kyle Nellis had a team-best 14 points for Keystone with Drew Keth scoring 13, Tyler Albright 11, and Cole Henry 10.
CLARION-LIMESTONE 85, REDBANK VALLEY 63
NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Putting a pair of players over 20 points visiting Clarion-Limestone rolled past Redbank Valley, 85-63 in KSAC Large school action.
Rylie Klingensmith led the Lions with 23 points with Jordan Hesdon scoring 21.
Also for C-L, Alex Painter and Tommy Smith each scored 10 points and Jase Ferguson had eight tallies.
Owen Close led Redbank Valley with 19 points with Braylon Wagner adding 12 and Mason Clouse nine.
KARNS CITY 70, CRANBERRY 42
KARNS CITY, Pa. – Taite Beighley and Michah Rupp each had double-doubles in Karns City’s 70-42 home win over Cranberry.
Beighley scored a game-high 22 points go to with 10 assists, while Rupp had 19 points, 11 rebounds, five blocked shots, and four steals.
Shane Peters also had a nice game for the Gremlins with nine points, nine rebounds, and three blocked shots.
Ethan Merryman had 15 points for Cranberry.
CLARION 70, UNION 57
RIMERSBURG, Pa. – In a game highlighted by Gabe Simko’s three-quarter buzzer-beater at the halftime horn, Clarion went on the road and picked up a huge 70-57 KSAC Small School win over Union.
Simko’s horn-beater capped a 30-point second quarter for Clarion, which outscored the Golden Knights 30-12 in the frame to take a 44-26 halftime lead.
Watch the shot from Clarion’s video
Watch the shot via Union’s NFHS video
Devon Lauer led Clarion with a game-high 24 points with Dawson Smail adding 21 points, nine rebounds, six steals, and five assists.
Also for the Bobcats, Simko and Bryce Brinkley added eight points each. Brinkley also had four steals, and Derek Smail grabbed seven rebounds to go with five points.
Payton Johnston led Union with 18 points with Zander Laughlin adding 14 points and Dawson Camper six points and 10 rebounds.
NORTH CLARION 66, FOREST AREA 8
FRILLS CORNERS, Pa. – Aiden Hartle had 20 points to help North Clarion to a 66-8 win over visiting Forest Area in KSAC Small School action.
Andy Castner added 11 points for the Wolves, who led 41-3 at halftime and 56-3 going to the fourth quarter.
Keyon Custer led Forest Area with six points.
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 61, KANE 28
ST. MARYS, Pa. – Colby Nussbaum had 13 points and was one of eight Elk County Catholic players to score in a 61-28 Crusader home win over Kane in AML North play.
\Jordan Wasko and Lance O’Neill also reached double figures for ECC with 10 points apiece, and David Anderson chipped in nine tallies.
Ricky Zampogna led Kane with 10 tallies.
GENESEE VALLEY (N.Y.) 52, NORTHERN POTTER 38
WESTFIELD, Pa. – Kadin Logue scored 18 points and Jacob Borden 16 to lead Genesee Valley (N.Y.) to a 52-38 win over Northern Potter in the opening round of the Jack Bush Tournament at Cowaneseque Valley.
Ty Daniels led Northern Potter with 14 points.
The Panthers play Andover0Whitesville (N.Y.) in the consolation game Saturday.
