KANE, Pa. – Three District 9 consolation games were played Friday night with XXX advancing to the PIAA playoffs with a win in Class 2A boys and PIAA seeding being determined in Class 1A boys’ and girls’ with the North Clarion boys and Otto-Eldred girls gaining victories.
(Zane Puhala of Brockway makes a move to the hoop against Clarion’s Cam Craig during Friday night’s District 9 Class 2A boys’ consolation game won by the Rovers. Puhala had 20 points in the game with Craig leading all scorers with 22 for Clarion. Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics. See more of Bakaysa’s work here)
Here is a look at the three games.
BOYS
BROCKWAY 60, CLARION 53
CLARION, Pa. – Behind a career-high 20 points from Zane Puhala, Brockway punched its ticket to the PIAA Class 2A playoffs with a 60-53 win over Clarion in the District 9 2A boys’ consolation game Friday night at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym.
Puhala talked about the win.
The win turned around a seven-point loss, 62-55, by Brockway (13-13) to Clarion at Clarion High School Feb. 12.
Relisten to the game.
The Rovers found themselves to be a little bit better in each quarter to advance.
Brockway only trailed once in the game at 10-8 before taking the lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to six points Noah Vokes.
Despite not hitting a single trey in the first half Brockway held a slim lead 25-23 with Puhala and Vokes combining to score 19 points.
Puhala scored nine third-quarter points along with two three-pointers from Carter Adams, and Anthony Esposito that helped Brockway extended an ever slim lead to 40-34.
Brockway needed that to keep pace with Clarion’s Cam Craig who scored a game-high 22 points including four treys. Craig finished his stellar Bobcats’ career with 1,138 career points.
Clarion was able to cut the lead to four with seven minutes remaining as the Bobcats forced consecutive Rover’s turnovers and finished with back-to-back buckets from Calvin German and Austin Hummell cut the deficit to 43-39. German, a freshman, finished with 12 points, while Hummell, a senior, ended with 11.
But that was all the closer the Bobcats (17-8), who were without the services of senior Spencer Miller, who was on a pre-planned trip to Florida, were able to get as clutch transition buckets from Brockway combined with poor fouling shooting ended Clarion’s season.
Noah Vokes added 12 points for Brockway with Carter Adams chipping in 11 and Alec Freemer 10.
The Rovers will face District 6 champion Bishop Guilfoyle in the first round Saturday, March 10, at a site and time to be announced.
NORTH CLARION 65, CAMERON COUNTY 57
KANE, Pa. – An 8-0 run at the end of the third quarter helped North Clarion pull out a 65-57 win over Cameron County in the District 9 Class 1A boys’ consolation game at Kane High School.
After trailing by five, 31-26, at halftime, the third-seeded Red Raiders (17-7) fought back to tie the game at 41 with two minutes left in the third quarter.
But top-seeded North Clarion (21-4) rolled off the final eight minutes of the quarter to take a 49-41 lead going to the fourth quarter.
The Wolves then scored all 16 of their fourth-quarter points from the free-throw line going 16 of 24 from the line in the eight-minute period led by Jesse Schmader, who was a perfect 6 of 6 in the quarter from the line.
The fourth-quarter free-throw barrage allowed North Clarion to go 21 of 31 from the line in the game, while Cameron County shot 8 of 16 from the line.
Newly-minted 1,000-point scorer 1,000-point scorer Nathan Banner led the Wolves with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Kyle Mills chipped in 12 points, Keeven Weaver added nine tallies and Schmader eight.
Adam Shaffer paced Cameron County with 16 points with Dino Brown adding 12 and Bryce Bauer eight.
Both teams move into the PIAA playoffs.
North Clarion gets WPIAL runner-up Union-New Castle, while Cameron County gets WPIAL champion Vincentian Academy. Those games will be Friday, March 9, at sites and times to be announced Sunday.
GIRLS
OTTO-ELDRED 54, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 48
KANE, Pa. – Allison Cousins and Britney Greeley each scored six third-quarter points to help Otto-Eldred gain some separation over Elk County Catholic on its way to a 54-48 win over the Lady Crusaders in the District 9 Class 1A girls’ consolation game at Kane High School.
The second-seeded Lady Terrors (21-4) led by one, 27-26, at halftime but outscored fifth-seeded ECC (16-11) 15-8 in the third quarter to take a 42-34 lead after three.
In the fourth quarter, Otto-Eldred got the lead to as many as 10 before ECC cut it to three before losing by six.
Camryn Thomas led Otto-Eldred with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Shelander added 12 points, Ali Cousins seven points and four assists and Greeley six points and nine rebounds.
Taylor Newton led all scorers with 20 points for ECC. Josie Smith added 15 and Sady VanAlstine nine on three 3-pointers.
Both teams move into the PIAA playoffs.
Otto-Eldred will play District 6 champion Juniata Valley, the PIAA runner-up a year ago, while ECC takes on WPIAL champion Winchester Thurston. Both of those games are Saturday, March 10, at times and locations to be announced Sunday.
BOX SCORES
BOYS
BROCKWAY 60, CLARION 53
Score by Quarters
Brockway – 13 12 15 20 – 60
Clarion – 12 11 11 19 – 53
BROCKWAY – 60
Zane Puhala 6 8-9 20, Josh Salada 0 0-0 0, Noah Vokes 6 0-0 12, Anthony Esposito 1 0-0 3, Carter Adams 4 2-5 11, Alec Freemer 3 3-4 10, Jon Wood 0 4-4 4, JD Wood 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 14-21 60.
CLARION – 53
Zak Bauer 0 0-0 0, Austin Hummell 5 1-4 11, Cam Craig 9 0-3 22, Archer Mills 0 0-0 0, Nick Frederick 0 0-0 0, Calvin German 5 0-1 12, Josh Craig 1 0-0 2, Skylar rhoades 2 0-0 4, Drew Whren 0 0-0 0, Gavin Brinkley 0 0-0 0, Jake Burns 1 0-0 2. Totals 23 1-8 53.
Three-pointers: Brockway 3 (Adams, Freemer, Esposito). Clarion 5 (Cam Craig 4, German).
NORTH CLARION 65, CAMERON COUNTY 57
Score by Quarters
Cameron Co. 8 18 15 16 – 57
North Clarion 16 15 18 16 – 65
CAMERON COUNTY – 57
Dino Brown 4 3-3 12, Marcus Brown 2 0-0 4, Alex Umble 2 0-0 5, Adam Shaffer 6 4-8 16, Caden Beldin 3 0-2 7, Ty Bauer 2 1-2 5, Bryce Bauer 3 0-0 8, Matt Swartz 0 0-0 0, Jon Good 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 8-16 57.
NORTH CLARION – 65
Nathan Banner 7 2-4 19, Keeven Weaver 2 4-6 9, Jesse Schmader 1 6-6 8, Zander Hargenrader 0 2-4 2, Sam Minich 2 1-1 5, Noah Meyers 0 2-2 2, Korey Mills 1 0-0 2, Kyle Mills 5 2-4 12, Tyler McCord-Wolbert 1 1-2 3, Matson Higgins 1 0-0 2, Logan Minich 0 1-2 1, Jacob Bauer 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 21-31 65.
Three-pointers: Cameron County 5 (Bryce Bauer, Dino Brown, Umble, Beldin). North Clarion 4 (Banner 3, Weaver).
GIRLS
OTTO-ELDRED 54, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 48
Score by Quarters
ECC 10 16 8 14 – 48
O-E 12 15 15 12 – 54
ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC – 48
Sady VanAlstine 3 0-1 9, Makenzie Cashmer 1 0-0 3, Josie Smith 7 1-2 15, Taylor Newton 8 4-6 20, McKayla Wilson 0 1-2 1, Gabbie Rohr 0 0-0 0, Emma Wolfe 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 6-11 48.
OTTO-ELDRED – 54
Allison Cousins 2 3-4 7, Alyssa Shelander 4 1-2 12, Reilly Raught 0 0-0 0, Autumn Smith 0 0-0 0, Britney Greeley 3 0-0 6, Jade Spinney 2 0-0 6, Emily Smith 1 1-2 4, Camryn Thomas 4 7-8 17, Haylee Frederick 1 0-0 2, Kayley Heller 0 0-0 0. 18 13-16 54.
Three-pointers: ECC 4 (VanAlstine 3, Cashmer). Otto-Eldred 5 (Shelander 3, Spinney 2).
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