KARNS CITY, Pa. – Luke Cramer dropped a game-high 21 points to lift third-seeded Karns City into the District 9 Class 2A semifinals with a 74-49 win over visiting Cranberry, the sixth seed.
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Cramer dropped three 3-pointers in the game and scored nine points in the third quarter while being named the Allegheny Grille of Foxburg Player of the Game. He talked about the win on the Cole Orthodontic Associates Postgame Interview.
Behind six points from Taite Beighley and five from Cramer, Karns City (19-6) led 19-9 at the end of the first quarter.
Beighley, who finished with 17 points, then added five more second-quarter points while freshman Cole Johnston chipped in four to expand the Gremlin lead to 13, 32-19, at halftime.
Karns City then put the game away in the third quarter thanks to Cramer and Jacob Callihan, who scored six of his 10 in the frame which ended with the Gremlins ahead 21, 55-34.
The Mercy Rule came into play in the fourth quarter before Cranberry was able to make the score a bit for respectable late.
Johnston added nine points for the Gremlins while Shane Peters had seven.
Beighley completed a double-double with 10 assists while also coming up with five rebounds. Hobie Bartoe also had five boards and eight assists, while Cramer added five boards and Callihan and Peters each had six rebounds.
Cole Findlay scored a game-high 20 points for Cranberry (13-10) while Landon Baker chipped in nine and freshman Blake Marchinke added seven.
Karns City will face second-seeded Otto-Eldred in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, at PennWest Clarion’s Tippin Gym.
OTTO-ELDRED 64, PORT ALLEGANY 41
DUKE CENTER, Pa. – Manning Splain knocked down six 3-pointers and finished with 22 points as second-seeded Otto-Eldred beat seventh-seeded Port Allegany, 64-41 in the District 9 Class 2A quarterfinals at O-E.
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The win was the third this season for the Terrors (24-1) over the Gators (13-11).
“Right off the first shot, as soon as I see it go in, you can tell it’s going to be a good shooting night,” Splain said.
See Splain’s full Cole Orthodontic Associates Postgame Interview:
The Terrors got off to a little bit of a slow start, but still led 14-7 after the first quarter and 36-16 at halftime. Splain knocked down five of his 3-pointers in the first half and Brax Caldwell scored 10 of his 14 points in the opening 16 minutes.
Landon Francis added 12 points and Shene Thomas nine for the Terrors.
“They’re super focused,” said Otto-Eldred coach Derrick Francis of his team. “We have big aspirations. There’s no question what their goals are, especially when you have 25 guys here all summer long every day. They’re super focused, super critical of themselves and making each other accountable. That’s how you get a good program.”
Nick Wilfong had 14 points and Jake Causer 11 for the Gators.
The Terrors earned a date with No. 3 Karns City. The KSAC champions knocked off No. 6 Cranberry, 74-49. That game will be on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at PennWest Clarion’s Tippin Gym.
REDBANK VALLEY 69, COUDERSPORT 37
NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Shooting a blazing 62.7 percent from the field, top-seeded Redbank Valley rolled past visiting Coudersport, the eighth seed, 69-37, in the District 9 Class 2A quarterfinals.
The Bulldogs (20-3) were 32 of 51 from the floor.
Coudersport (13-12) was in the game for a quarter and trailed just 19-14 after eight minutes.
But a 30-point second quarter by Redbank Valley helped the Bulldogs open up a 26-point, 49-23, halftime lead.
Breckin Minich hit three 3-pointers and scored nine of the 30 points while Braylon Wagner added seven points in the quarter and Kieran Fricko chipped in six tallies.
Redbank Valley got the Mercy Rule going less than a minute into the third quarter and cruised from there.
Mason Clouse led a quintet of Bulldogs in double digits with 18 points while adding seven rebounds. Wagner added 15 points and eight boards, Minich and Fricko each scored 11 points, and Owen Close chipped in with 10 tallies.
Reilly Streich had 17 points for Coudersport while Mason Roessner, who had 10 first-quarter tallies, added 14.
Redbank Valley will take on fourth-seeded Clarion-Limestone, who beat the Bulldogs in last week’s KSAC semifinals, in the D9 semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, at PennWest Clarion’s Tippin Gym.
CLARION-LIMESTONE 67, RIDGWAY 40
STRATTANVILLE, Pa. – Fourth-seeded Clarion-Limestone wasted little time in putting visiting Ridgway, the fifth seed, in its rearview mirror on its way to a 67-40 win in the District 9 Class 2A quarterfinals.
The Lions (16-9) led 19-6 at the end of the first quarter and 38-14 at halftime on their way to the Mercy Rule victory.
Jack Callen (7 points) and Jack Craig (6 points) paced the way early for C-L, while Jace Ferguson added five second-quarter points with Callen and Paul Craig each chipping in four tallies in the quarter.
Callen led a trio of Lions in double digits with 15 points with Paul Craig, just a freshman, adding 14, and Ferguson scoring 13. Jack Craig, Paul’s older brother, chipped in with nine points
Jackson Kilpeck led Ridgway (13-11) with 10 points with Alex Merritt and Ethan Streich each scoring eight tallies and Hunter Beeler contributing seven points.
C-L will face Redbank Valley in the D9 semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, at PennWest Clarion’s Tippin Gym. The Lions beat the Bulldogs at Tippin in last week’s KSAC semifinals.
