By Chris Rossetti
CLARION, Pa. – The District 9 Class AA girls’ semifinals looks more like a KSAC South bracket than a District 9 bracket with three of the four teams coming from District 9’s best girls’ basketball conference.
The semifinal games, which will be Tuesday at Clarion High School, feature third-seeded Redbank Valley facing second-seeded Moniteau for the third time this year and top-seeded and two-time defending champion Karns City taking on fourth-seeded Kane.
The Redbank Valley vs. Moniteau game will tip off at 6 p.m. with the Karns City vs. Kane game to follow at 7:45 p.m. Both games can be heard live at D9Sports.com and ExploreClarion.com via ExploreRadio.
(3) REDBANK VALLEY (15-7) vs. (2) MONITEAU (15-7)
When and where: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Clarion High School
Stats: Redbank Valley • Moniteau
Game Preview: This is the third meeting between the teams this year with Moniteau taking the first two by scores of 53-46 and 62-56 … Both teams will have been off for two weeks by the time this game is played, so anything that happened at the end of the regular season may be mute. Moniteau does come into the semifinals having won two in a row and six of eight, while Redbank Valley lost its final two regular-season games but had won five in a row prior to losses to Moniteau and Karns City, the top team seeds … Moniteau is looking for its first District 9 title since winning in 2001 under current head coach Dee Arblaster, who stepped down after that season before returning this year. The Lady Warriors were last in a D9 title game in 2012, losing to Cranberry … Redbank Valley fell in last year’s championship game to Karns City. The Lady Bulldogs haven’t won a title since 1998 … Redbank Valley’s Brooke Hinderliter needs 26 points to become the sixth player in D9 history to 2,000 career points … The winner of this game earns a PIAA playoff spot.
Top players: Redbank Valley – Brooke Hinderliter (21.9 ppg), Becca Dougherty (9.2 ppg). Moniteau – Kristina DeMatteis (15.9 ppg), Alazia Greaves (15.1 ppg)
(4) KANE (16-9) vs. (1) KARNS CITY (21-2)
When and where: 7:45 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, at Clarion High School
Stats: Kane • Karns City
Game Preview: Kane earned its way into the semifinals with a 45-40 win over Brookville Wednesday. Freshman Ella Marconi was the star of that game with 16 points and 16 rebounds … The Lady Wolves, who have won four of five heading into the semifinals, are looking for their first D9 title game spot since losing to Brookville in 2013. Kane has never won a District 9 title going 0-5 in AA championship games including 0-3 since 2009 … Karns City, which hasn’t played since beating North Clarion in the KSAC Title Game Feb. 12, has won back-to-back D9 titles, and the Lady Gremlins have won 10 titles since 1999 … … The winner of this game earns a PIAA playoff spot.
Top players: Kane – Trinity Clark (11.8 ppg), Ella Marconi (10.6 ppg). Karns City – Emily Hegedus (17.9 ppg), LeeAnn Gibson (16.8 ppg)
