Feb. 15 District 9 girls basketball recaps
KARNS CITY 47, MONITEAU 37
WEST SUNBURY, Pa. – Building an 18-point lead 2 ½ minutes into the fourth quarter, Karns City held off a furious Moniteau rally to secure the second and final KSAC playoff spot awarded to the KSAC Large School Division with a 47-37 road win over the Lady Warriors.
Rewatch the game
The Lady Gremlins (13-8 overall, 6-4 KSAC Large) actually led by as many as 19, 30-11, early in the second half, before taking a 42-24 lead on a driving layup by Rossi McMillen with 5:21 to play.
But McMillen missed a chance to push the lead back to 19 when she missed the ensuing free throw, and Moniteau (11-10, 6-4) got hot from the outside while also turning up the defensive intensity to go on a 13-1 run that cut the deficit to six, 43-37, following a free throw by Davina Pry with 45 seconds to play.
The Lady Warriors then got a steal on the inbounds play, but Abbey Jewart’s runner in the lane was short, and the rebound went out of bounds to Karns City.
The Lady Gremlins, who had been just 6 of 14 from the free-throw line up to that point, hit four straight – two from McMillen and two from Brooke Manuel – to put the game away.
Manuel had a strong game for Karns City with a game-high 15 points, including 10 in the first half to help the Lady Gremlins build a 27-11 halftime lead.
She was named the Allegheny Grille of Foxburg Player of the Game and talked about the win.
McMillen was also strong on the night with 13 points, including 11 in the second half, for the Lady Gremlins, while Abby Callihan chipped in with seven.
Victoria Pry led Moniteau with 10 points and eight rebounds with Jewart, Sophia Fleeger, and Catherine Kelly each adding eight points.
All eight of Fleeger’s tallies came in the fourth quarter, including hitting a pair of 3-pointers, as she provided the spark off the bench for the Lady Warriors.
Kendall Sankey had a team-best nine rebounds for Moniteau.
While both teams will participate in the District 9 Class 3A playoffs, only Karns City advances to the KSAC playoffs. The Lady Gremlins will take on KSAC Small School champion North Clarion at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, at Tippin Gym in Clarion in the semifinals. Redbank Valley will face Union in the other semifinal contest at 8 p.m. with the winners playing for the KSAC title at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, also at Tippin Gym.
Karns City earned the playoff spot thanks to a three-way tiebreaker with Moniteau and Clarion-Limestone, who were both 6-4 in league play as well. The Lady Gremlins were 4-1 vs. the KSAC Small School Division while Moniteau and C-L were both 3-2.
NORTH CLARION 48, UNION 41
RIMERSBURG, Pa. – The more things change the more they stay the same.
Claire Kriebel wasn’t going to let the KSAC Small School (formerly North) Division title go anywhere else.
The North Clarion senior had a career night scoring 20 points, including 15 in the second half, to lift North Clarion to a 48-41 win at Union to clinch the She-Wolves’ seventh consecutive KSAC divisional crown.
The victory avenged a 48-44 North Clarion home loss to Union Jan. 6 that broke the She-Wolves 49-game conference win streak.
Kriebel was at her best during a game-changing 10-0 North Clarion run in the third quarter scoring the final eight minutes of the spurt, which turned a 28-23 deficit into a 33-28 lead that North Clarion never relinquished.
Union, which led by as many as 12 (21-9) midway through the second quarter held a 28-23 lead following a 3-pointer by Dominika Logue with just under six minutes to play in the third quarter.
But a Gwen Siegel basket got the North Clarion run started, and Kriebel delivered the next eight points finishing the run with a basket at the 1:33 mark of the third quarter.
Union was able to stabilize things going to the fourth quarter by scoring the final four points of the third thanks to a pair of Hailey Kriebel free throws and a basket just before the horn from Keira Croyle off a feed from Logue to make it a one-point game, 33-32, going to the final eight minutes.
The Croyle hoop was the first basket for the Golden Damsels in over 5 ½ minutes.
A Croyle offensive putback early in the fourth quarter kept the game at a single point, 35-34, before a Claire Kriebel free throw followed by an Emma McFarland basket gave North Clarion a 38-34 lead with around 5:45 to play.
It was still a four-point North Clarion lead, 42-38, after Claire Kriebel hit two free throws with just over two minutes to play before Croyle made one of two with 1:39 left to make it 42-39.
Siegel then scored to make it 44-39, but her basket was answered by another offensive rebound and putback by Croyle to close the gap to three again, 44-41, with just over a minute remaining.
It was Siegel again on the other end with around 50 seconds left to make it 46-41, and after a couple of missed Union shots, Claire Kriebel put the game away with two charity shots with 20 seconds to go.
Siegel added 11 points for North Clarion.
Croyle led Union with 19 points with Logue, who hit four 3-pointers, adding 14 but only five in the second half.
Both teams advance to the KSAC Playoffs.
North Clarion is the top seed from the KSAC Small School and will play Karns City at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17, at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym. Union will take on KSAC Large School champion Redbank Valley at 8 p.m. The championship game is slated for 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, also at Tippin Gym.
DUBOIS 45, BROOKVILLE 32
DUBOIS, Pa. – Madison Rusnica scored 12 of her game-high 18 points in the fourth quarter to help DuBois pull away from visiting Brookville, 45-32.
The Lady Beavers led by just three, 28-25, going to the fourth quarter before turning it up and pulling away.
Allie Snyder added eight points for DuBois.
Alayna Haight had 17 to lead Brookville with Jordan Cook and Elizabeth Wonderling each scoring seven.
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 43, BRADFORD 17
BRADFORD, Pa. – Emily Mourer scored 13 points to help visiting Elk County Catholic beat Bradford, 43-17.
Lucy Klawuhn added 10 points for the Lady Crusaders with Syd Alexander adding nine and Tori Newton eight points and 12 rebounds.
Kalie Dixon led Bradford with six points.
CLARION-LIMESTONE 53, CRANBERRY 18
STRATTANVILLE, Pa. – Behind 18 points from Kendall Dunn, Clarion-Limestone rolled past visiting Cranberry, 53-18, in KSAC Large school action.
Francis Milliron added 15 points in her final home game for the Lady Lions, and Alyssa Wiant scored eight.
Haylie Gregory and Ayanna Feringer led Cranberry with six points each.
REDBANK VALLEY 60, KEYSTONE 34
KNOX, Pa. – Caylen Rearick hit four 3-pointers and led a trio of Redbank Valley players in double digits with 15 points, as the Lady Bulldogs took home a 60-34 road KSAC Large School win from Keystone.
Mylee Harmon and Madison Foringer each added 14 points for Redbank Valley.
Natalie Bowser had a game-high 16 points for Keystone with Emma Gruber adding nine points.
CLARION 57, A-C VALLEY 29
CLARION, Pa. – Noel Anthony hit four 3-pointers and scored all 16 of her points before halftime to pace a 57-29 Clarion win over visiting A-C Valley in KSAC Small School play.
Rebeka Ketner added 14 points for the Lady Cats who also got 10 from Payton Simko and seven from Jordan Best.
Baylee Blauser had 16 points for A-C Valley with Makenzie Parks adding nine.
AUSTIN 31, OSWAYO VALLEY 16
SHINGLEHOUSE, Pa. – Ella Brewer scored 12 points to help visiting Austin knock off Oswayo Valley, 31-16, in NTL action.
Savannah Horton added eight points for the Lady Panthers with Isabella Rees adding six points and six steals.
Layken Enty paced Oswayo Valley with seven points.
SMETHPORT 32, KANE 13
KANE, Pa. – Abby Lutz led a balanced Smethport offense with 11 points in a 32-13 win at Kane.
Elizabeth Hungiville added nine points, 11 rebounds, and three steals for the Lady Hubbers who also got Sabrina Tanner added 11 rebounds, four steals, and two points.
Mia Anderson scored eight points for Kane.
VENANGO CATHOLIC 45, TIDIOUTE CHARTER 28
TIDIOUTE, Pa. – Behind 27 points and 10 steals from Lily Homan, visiting Venango Catholic rolled past Tidioute Charter, 45-28.
Mariah Wessell added six points and seven steals for the Lady Vikings with Alyson Stewart chipping in nine rebounds and a point.
Angelina Daniella had 14 points for Tidioute Charter.
DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 57, EISENHOWER 13
DUBOIS, Pa. – A 16-point night from Faith Jacob lifted DuBois Central Catholic to a 57-13 win over visiting Eisenhower.
Emma Elensky added nine tallies for the Lady Cardinals.
Lilly Smyth led Eisenhower with 11 points.
NORTHERN POTTER 53, WILLIAMSON 38
TIOGA, Pa. – Courtney Martin scored 12 of her 18 points in the third quarter to help Northern Potter take home a 53-38 win at Williamson.
Rebecca Martin added 10 points and nine rebounds for the Lady Panthers while Abbie Cady had eight points and Haylee Chapman seven. Mollie Cady also pulled down nine rebounds.
