Gremlins Fall in PIAA Quarterfinals

CORAOPOLIS, Pa. – After a hotly contested opening quarter, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart pulled away from Karns City to secure a comfortable 75-45 win.

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The Chargers took an early first-quarter lead, but the Gremlins cut the lead to make the score 19-16 after the opening period. From that point on, OLSH dominated, taking a 16-point lead at the half and further expanding their advantage during the rest of the contest.

Dante Spadafora led the Chargers with 23 points, while Jake Dimichele scored 20 for OLSH. Nathan Waltman scored 21 to top Karns City. Chase Beighley added 12 for the Gremlins.

Both teams started the game well, with Beighley and Waltman getting on the board early for the Gremlins. With the score tied at five, OLSH went on an early run, with Dante Spadafora’s scoring driving the Chargers’ offense in the stretch. Just as OLSH appeared to be pulling away, Karns City struck back, with Luke Cramer and Waltman taking the Gremlins back to within one possession, with OLSH holding a 19-16 lead after one.

The Chargers were dominant to begin the second quarter, going on a big 11-4 run to recapture a double-digit, 34-20 lead with 3:00 remaining in the quarter. OLSH’s defense was king in this stretch, preventing Karns City from generating any open looks on offense. The Chargers only allowed two more Gremlins’ buckets during the rest of the period, using their standout defensive effort to further expand their lead to 40-24 at the half.

The third quarter was more balanced, with both teams finding ways to score. Waltman continued to use his blend of power and finesse to finish inside, while OLSH kept converting on their open looks. The Chargers continued to increase their lead to 51-30 halfway through the third quarter. OLSH ran away with the contest in the back end of the quarter, upping their lead to 65-34 after three quarters.

With the clock running, the final quarter raced by. Waltman and Rupp added nice buckets early in half, and the rear of the half had minimal scoring. After a speedy fourth quarter, OLSH emerged 75-45 victors.