NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A dominant second half lifted Redbank Valley to the KSAC regular-season title with a 56-36 win over visiting Clarion in the defacto regular-season title game.
Also see: Straub runner gives ECC win over St. Marys Girls • Feb. 10 Girls Recaps
The Bulldogs (19-2 overall, 12-0 KSAC) led by two, 25-23, at halftime before outscoring the Bobcats (14-7, 9-2) 31-13 in the second half.
Breckin Minich led the charge during a decisive third quarter that saw Redbank Valley outscore Clarion 16-8 scoring nine points while hitting a pair of 3-pointers.
The Bulldogs then hit 9 of 16 free throws in the fourth quarter to pull away.
Minich led a balanced scoring effort for Redbank Valley with 15 points with Owen Clouse adding 14 tallies.
Mason Clouse, Ty Carrier, and Braylon Wagner each added seven points in the win.
Clarion, which hit just five second-half shots, got eight points from Devon Lauer and seven from Bryce Brinkley.
Redbank Valley becomes the first overall regular-season KSAC champion since 2006 when Moniteau won the league crown. From 2007 through 2023 the league played in a two-division format before going back to a one-division format this season.
The win means the Bulldogs will be the top seed in the KSAC playoffs, which for the boys starts Friday. Clarion is the No. 2 seed, Karns City is No. 3, and Clarion-Limestone is No. 4. The semifinals are Friday at Tippin Gym on the campus of PennWest Clarion, while the championship game is Saturday also at Tippin Gym.
MERCYHURST PREP 71, ERIE HIGH 66
ERIE, Pa. – Craig Bruckner poured in 26 points to lead Mercyhurst Prep to a 71-66 non-region win over Erie High.
Tanner Ashton tallied 13 points and Derek Bly 12 for the Lakers, with eight of Bruckner’s points coming in the fourth quarter to help put the game away for the Lakers.
The win was the eighth in a row for the Lakers (13-7).
Jamarius Johnson had 16 points and Layveon Gore 14 for the Royals (14-6)
DUBOIS 53, WARREN 48
WARREN, Pa. – DuBois shook off a slow start on the road at Warren, to knock off the Dragons, 53-48.
Warren (15-5), which has seen all five of its losses come in its last 10 games, built a 33-24 halftime lead on the strength of eight points from Tommy Nyquist and seven each from Brady Berdine and Chase Sitler.
But DuBois (15-6), playing for the second time in less than 24 hours, outscored the Dragons 15-6 in the third quarter to tie the game at 39.
Tyson Kennis led the charge in the third with nine of his game-high 23 points.
Kennis then took over in the fourth quarter scoring six more points while Maddox Bennett, who had 15 points, and Rudy Williams each hit key 3-pointers to help DuBois complete the comeback.
Cam Thompson chipped in 10 tallies in the victory for DuBois.
Sitler and Berdine led Warren with 11 points each with Braylon Barnes adding nine points and Nyquist eight.
MCDOWELL 71, STATE COLLEGE 51
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Tyler Grove and Kamden Kramer combined for 50 points as McDowell beat State College, 71-51.
Grove poured in 30 points in the win for the Trojans (17-3) while Kramer had 20.
McDowell led 35-26 at halftime and 55-43 after the third quarter.
Luke Torbic had 11 points for State College (9-12).
JOHNSONBURG 50, RIDGWAY 34
RIDGWAY, Pa. – Taking a 25-12 halftime lead, Johnsonburg won its fifth straight game and for the eighth time in nine tries with a 50-34 win at rival Johnsonburg in AML action.
The Rams (15-6 overall, 7-2 AML North), who made a strong case for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming District 9 Class 1A playoffs, got 23 points from Isaiah Jackson, including 15 in the middle two quarters.
Eli Perez and Luke Zimmerman each added nine points for Johnsonburg.
Ridgway (12-9, 5-4), which saw its six-game win streak end, got 10 points each from Alex Merritt and Ethan Streich, while Hunter Beeler chipped in nine points.
SENECA 41, ERIE FIRST CHRISTIAN 36
ERIE, Pa. – Lucas Rupp scored 14 points as Seneca edged Erie First Christian, 41-36.
Nolan Seabury added 11 points for the Bobcats (7-13 overall, 5-7 Region 4), who built a 34-24 lead after three quarters en route to the win.
Avery Collins led EFC (4-15, 2-10) with 19 points.
DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 62, CURWENSVILLE 50
DUBOIS, Pa. – DuBois Central Catholic broke a five-game losing streak with a 62-50 win over visiting Curwensville.
The Cardinals (11-11) led by three, 46-43, going to the fourth quarter before pulling away thanks to six fourth-quarter points from Johnny Varischetti and five from Marek Hoyt.
Andrew Green led DCC with 19 points with Hoyt scoring all 13 of his points in the second half. Varischetti chipped in with a career-high 11 points. Green also had seven rebounds with Varischetti adding six boards. Brayden Fox dished out seven assists.
Hunter Tkacik led Curwensville (10-10), which has dropped six of eight, with 14 points. Parker Wood added 12 tallies, and Davis Fleming had 10 points.
GALETON 70, WILLIAMSON 58
GALETON, Pa. – Zach Pagano led a trio of Galeton players in double digits with 19 points in a 70-58 win over visiting Williamson.
Braiden Cimino added 16 points for the Tigers (9-11) while Matthew Zur had 12 points.
Williamson got a game-high 24 points from Kristian Mizdail with Jack Nolan adding 12 tallies.
Williamson at Galeton – No report
