Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, Girls’ Basketball Playoff Previews

There are five games involving District 9 teams in the playoffs Friday, including four in Class 2A and one in Class 4A.

(Photo of Ridgway’s Gabbi Rohr. Photo by Adair Rohr)

DISTRICT 9 CLASS 4A SEMIFINALS

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(3) Bradford vs. (2) St. Marys

When and Where: 6 p.m. at Kane High School
Records: Bradford 10-12, St. Marys 17-5
Winner Plays: Punxsutawney in the District 9 title game Feb. 27 at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym
Bradford Leading Scorers: Hannah Lary (18.8 ppg), Erica Marshall (11.5 ppg), Alanna Benson (6.8 ppg)
St. Marys Leading Scorers: Kaylee Muccio (9.3 ppg), Megan Quesenberry (7.4 ppg), Kyla Johnson (6.3 ppg), Allison Schlimm (6.3 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Bradford 2013 in Class 3A; St. Marys 2011 in Class 3A
Notes: This is the third meeting of the season between these teams and the rubber match. St. Marys won 44-27 at home Jan. 3 before Bradford returned the favor winning 57-53 at home Jan. 29. In the first meeting, Muccio scored 10 points for St. Marys with Giorgia Baciga adding 10. Bradford got 13 points from Lary. In the game at Bradford, Marshall scored 27 points, Benson added 16 and Lary 10 for the Lady Owls. St. Marys was led by 15 points from Quesenberry and 11 from Samantha Hayes … Marshall recently recorded her 500th career rebound and is the all-time leading rebounder in Bradford history, not bad for a 5-foot-3 guard … After starting the season 11-1, St. Marys went just 3-4 in its next seven games but enters the playoffs on a three-game win streak … Bradford started the season 5-9 but then won 5 of its next six, including the win over St. Marys, before falling in closes games to Punxsutawney and Brookville to end the regular season … St. Marys enters play with the fourth-best margin of victory in D9 at plus 16.4. That is fueled by the Lady Dutch defense, which allows 31.3 ppg, the fourth-best mark in the district … Bradford ranks 26th in points allowed in D9 giving up 43.9 ppg, but despite being under .500 the Lady Owls have a positive scoring differential at 1.8 ppg better than their opponent … Benson had a four-game stretch between Jan. 20-29 where she averaged 15 ppg but has scored just 15 points in her last three games and didn’t play in the loss to Brookville Tuesday.

Bradford playoff information is brought to you by: Team Minard • Potter County Family Campground • Close’s Lumber Company

DISTRICT 9 CLASS 2A QUARTERFINALS

(8) Brockway vs. (1) Ridgway

When and Where: 6 p.m. at DuBois High School
Records: Brockway 12-10; Ridgway 16-6
Winner Plays: Winner of the Cranberry/Keystone game in the semifinals Wednesday
Brockway Leading Scorers: Danielle Wood (11.9 ppg), Selena Buttery (11.4 ppg), Morgan Lindemuth (9.3 ppg)
Ridgway Leading Scorers: Christina Fullem (9.9 ppg), Gabbi Rohr (9.4 ppg), Julie Peterson (5.2 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Brockway never (Lady Rovers have never been to the title game); Ridgway 1989 in Class 2A
Notes: This might be the most unlikely of District 9 playoff matchups in recent memory. In the 15 seasons (30 combined seasons) prior to this year, these teams had combined for nine playoff appearances – six by Brockway – and one playoff win while going a combined 166-509 from 2005 to 2019 … The job John Bennardi has done in his first year as Ridgway’s head coach is nothing short of amazing. The Lady Elkers had one winning season since 2005 prior to this year (12-11 in 2018) and had gone a combined 65-273 since finishing 16-9 in 2004. That included seven seasons of one or no wins and another with just two wins … Ridgway is looking for its first playoff win since beating Brookville, 41-34, in the 1999 Class 2A quarterfinals. It’s not like the Lady Elkers have had many opportunities since going 0-7 since that win with just one playoff appearance since 2011, a loss to Keystone in 2018 … Brockway isn’t much better. This year marks just the second winning season for the Lady Rovers since at least 1996 (as far back as the D9Sports records go). The other one was in 2015 when they finished 12-10 with a playoff loss. Brockway hasn’t won a playoff game since 2008 when it was the 17th seed and won a pigtail game over Johnsonburg, 45-42. Since then, the Lady Rovers have lost six straight playoff games … This is the third meeting of the year between these teams with each winning on the other’s home court during the regular season. Brockway won 28-27 Jan. 7 at Ridgway and Ridgway won 35-31 Feb. 10 at Brockway. In Brockway’s win, Wood scored 18 points and Lindemuth had 17. Fullem led Ridgway with nine points. In Ridgway’s win, Fullem had 12 points to lead the Lady Elkers while Buttery scored 13 for Brockway … Buttery averages a double-double of 11.4 ppg and 12.2 rpg while also blocking 5.1 shots per contest … Ridgway is all about defense. The Lady Elkers lead District 9 in scoring defense at 24.7 ppg allowed. But Ridgway doesn’t score much averaging 33.1 ppg in a slow-down style, which ranks 25th in D9. That has led to eight games decided by six points for less for Ridgway with the Lady Elkers going 5-3 in those contests. Ridgway has won 9 of its last 11 games but was beaten by Elk County Catholic, 43-32, in the AML semifinals Feb. 13 … Brockway is just 4-5 in its last nine games.

Brockway playoff information brought to you by: Fran Morelli Sales & Service • Lezzer Lumber

(7) Kane vs. (2) Redbank Valley

When and Where: 6 p.m. at Brockway High School
Records: Kane 15-9; Redbank Valley 16-7
Winner Plays: Winner of the Clarion/Port Allegany game in the semifinals Wednesday
Kane Leading Scorers: Emily Bucheit (10.8 ppg), Sarri Swanson (9.6 ppg), Ainsley Saf (8.0 ppg)
Redbank Valley Leading Scorers: Tara Hinderliter (22.1 ppg), Alivia Huffman (8.4 ppg), Lauren Smith (7.5 ppg), Madison Foringer (5.8 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Kane 2019 in Class 2A; Redbank Valley 1998 in Class 2A
Notes: Kane is the defending D9 champion, although the Lady Wolves lost a lot from last year’s team, including head coach Dave Kiehl. But Brandon Troutman’s group has played better as the season has gone on and is coming off winning the AML title last Saturday. That was Kane’s seventh straight victory … Redbank Valley, on the other hand, has struggled down the stretch entering the playoffs on a three-game losing streak including blowing a 13-point lead in the KSAC title game loss to North Clarion Saturday. The Lady Bulldogs are just 3-5 in their last eight games, although they had won seven in a row between Dec. 28 and Jan. 17 … Hinderliter is District 9’s leading scorer, and Huffman is one of the top freshmen in the district. But Huffman’s availability is unknown for the first round after turning an ankle in the loss to North Clarion Saturday … Saf has been a difference-maker during the seven-game win streak for Kane averaging a team-best 12.9 ppg during that stretch … Redbank Valley is the second-highest scoring team in District 9 averaging 57.3 ppg but the Lady Bulldogs have struggled to find a rhythm of late averaging just 42.0 ppg in their last three contests.

Kane playoff information is brought to you by: Team Minard

Redbank Valley playoff information is brought to you by: Delta Contracting & Design/Ace Concrete & Excavating • Burford & Henry Real Estate Services • Tin Town Metal Works • State Representative Donna Oberlander (Paid for by Friends of Donna Oberlander)

(6) Clarion vs. (3) Port Allegany

When and Where: 6 p.m. at St. Marys High School
Records: Clarion 13-9; Port Allegany 16-6
Winner Plays: Winner of Kane/Redbank Valley game in the semifinals Wednesday
Clarion Leading Scorers: Kait Constantino (20.6 ppg), Jordan Best (8.5 ppg), KK Girvan (7.3 ppg), Payton Simko (6.3 ppg)
Port Allegany Leading Scorers: Cailey Barnett (18.8 ppg), Bree Garzel (12.7 ppg), Shannon Curfman (6.6 ppg), Evin Stauffer (5.4 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Clarion 2014 in Class 1A; Port Allegany 1997 in Class 2A
Notes: Clarion comes into the contest having won three straight games, but that stretch came on the heels of the Lady Cats losing 5 of 7 from Jan. 15 through Feb. 4 … Port Allegany is just 4-4 in its last eight contests after starting the year 12-2 … Both teams can score. Port Allegany ranks third in District 9 in scoring at 53.2 ppg with Clarion coming in sixth at 49.9 ppg … The Lady Gators also rank fifth in points allowed at 32.3 ppg, one of the reasons they have a point differential of plus 20.9, which is good for second in the district behind only North Clarion … Clarion has uncharacteristically for a Roger Walter-coached team struggled on defense allowing 42.9 ppg, which ranks 24th in D9 … Some of Clarion’s defensive woes might be due to low numbers. The Lady Cats only play six or seven players … Port Allegany lost at the third seed in last year’s D9 playoffs to Keystone, 36-26. The Lady Gators last won a playoff game in 2017 beating Curwensville in the 2A quarterfinals before finishing fourth in D9 … Clarion finished third in D9 last year beating Keystone in the consolation game to earn a PIAA playoff berth … Barnett and Constantino are both 1,000-point scorers with Constantino ranking second in D9 in scoring this season and Barnett tied for third.

Clarion playoff information is brought to you by: Delta Contracting & Design/Ace Concrete & Excavating • Burford & Henry Real Estate Services • Tin Town Metal Works • State Representative Donna Oberlander (Paid for by Friends of Donna Oberlander)

Port Allegany playoff information brought to you by: Team Minard • Potter County Family Campground • Close’s Lumber Company

(5) Cranberry vs. (4) Keystone

When and Where: 7 p.m. at Moniteau High School
Records: Cranberry 13-9; Keystone 14-8
Winner Plays: Winner of the Brockway/Ridgway game in the semifinals Wednesday
Cranberry Leading Scorers: Ava Ferringer (14.2 ppg), Kaia Dean (8.5 ppg), Megan Hadden (6.0 ppg), Kaylie Bruce (5.3 ppg), Maddie Cornelius (5.0 ppg)
Keystone Leading Scorers: Emily Lauer (14.6 ppg), Jozee Weaver (7.9 ppg), Natalie Bowser (6.9 ppg), Maddie Dunlap (5.9 ppg)
Last District 9 Title: Cranberry 2012 in Class 2A; Keystone 2016 in Class 1A
Notes: This is the third meeting between the teams this season with the home team winning each of the first two. Cranberry won 38-25 Jan. 3 and Keystone won 39-37 Feb. 8. In the Jan. 3 game, Cornelius scored 11 points and Dean 10 for the Berries, while Lauer had 10 for Keystone. In the rematch at Keystone, Lauer scored 14 and Weaver had 10 in the Lady Panthers win. Hadden had 11 for Cranberry … Cranberry enters the game having lost three in a row while going just 4-5 since Jan. 20 … Keystone is 7-3 since Jan. 15 but has lost two of its last three games … Keystone beat Port Allegany last year in the quarterfinals but lost to A-C Valley in the semifinals and Clarion in the consolation game … Cranberry last won a playoff game two years ago when it beat Clarion in the quarterfinals before finishing fourth in 2A.

Keystone playoff information is brought to you by: Delta Contracting & Design/Ace Concrete & Excavating • Burford & Henry Real Estate Services • Tin Town Metal Works • Wired Outdoors • State Representative Donna Oberlander (Paid for by Friends of Donna Oberlander)

Full coverage of District 9 teams in the basketball postseason can be found here.