March 8 PIAA girls’ basketball recaps for games involving District 9 teams.
(Photo by Tessa Boschert. Check out more of Boschert’s work here)
KANE 45, SAEGERTOWN 29
ST. MARYS, Pa. – District 9 Champion Kane continued their winning ways by upending Saegertown, 45-29, in the first round of the PIAA Class 2A Playoffs at St. Marys High School.
After a tight first half that saw Kane leading 21-20 at halftime, thanks in part to a couple of Hannah Buhl 3-pointers in the first quarter as well as Ella Marconi scoring nine of the Lady Wolves 11 second-quarter point.
Kane then went on a 6-0 run early in the third quarter, 27-20, with three different Lady Wolves scoring during the sequence. Saegertown was able to match Kane bucket-for-bucket later on in the third which put the score at 29-24. But Buhl hit a huge three to extend the Lady Wolves lead to eight before Saegertown was with seven, 32-25, at the end of the third quarter.
The Lady Wolves then started to pull away with a balanced offensive attack in the fourth quarter, which was attributed to distributing the basketball and getting to the free throw line. The Lady Wolves were 7 of 11 as a team from the charity stripe and Emily Bucheit made all four of her foul shots in the fourth quarter.
“We did a lot of better of a job taking care of the ball the second half,” Kane’s acting head coach Kerry Wolbert said. “We were more patient with the ball and worked inside.”
Marconi led Kane with 20 points while Buhl added nine tallies and Bucheit six.
For Saegertown, Mollie Przbrowski led her team with 11 points. Carlie Schlusser chipped in eight points.
KANE 45, SAEGERTOWN 29
Scores By Quarters
Saegertown 12 8 5 4 – 29
Kane 10 11 11 13 – 45
SAEGERTOWN-29
Katelyn Young 2 0-0 4. Carlie Schlusser 2 4-7 8, Aurie Bragmer 0 0-0 0, Mollie Przbrowski 4 1 0-0 11, Kaylee Mullinger 2 0-0 4, Ava Jones 1 0-0 2, Sydney Zaksheske 0 0- 0 0, Ella Nicholson 0 0-0 0, Emily Dunn 0 0- 0 0, Sydnie Smith 0 0-0 0 Sahah Walters 0 0-0 0, Dixie Kindwater 0 0-0 0, Aidanni McLaughlin 0 0-0 0 Lundis Crawford 0 0-0 0, Courtney Hess 0 0-0 0. 12 4-7 29.
KANE-45
Hannah Buhl 3 0-0 9, Ella Marconi 6 8-14 20, Emily Bucheit 1 4-4 6, Sierra Hillman 1 0-0 2, Ashley Saf 0 0-0 0, Hannah Brown 0 0-0 0, Emma Ely 0 0-0 0, Madi Koza 0 0-2 0, Audri Marconi 1 1-1 3, Sarri Swanson 1 3-4, 5 Katlyn Young 0 0-0 0 Rainee Wright 0 0-0 0. 13 16-25 45.
Three-pointers: Saegertown 1 (Przbrowski 1). Kane 3 (Buhl 3)
A-C VALLEY 47, CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS 43
KNOX, Pa. – Using a game-ending 6-1 spurt over the final three minutes, A-C Valley knocked off Cambridge Springs, 47-43, in the opening round of the PIAA Class 2A playoffs to gain the second-ever PIAA win in school history.
Relisten to the game:
“For these guys it’s great,” A-C Valley head coach Dave Sherman said. “I told each one of them them that it might not have worked out for us in the District championship (the Lady Falcons finished second to Kane, the second year in a row they were a D9 runner-up), but this is kind of like our championship. If you can win one of these games and get into the Sweet 16, that is something to brag about. There are a lot of kids sitting at home wishing they were in your shoes tonight. For these girls, the time and effort they put in, this is the payoff.”
After a third-quarter ending 11-2 run, A-C Valley (21-4) led by seven, 39-32, with eight minutes to play.
But Cambridge Springs (20-6), the third-place team out of District 10, battled back and took a 42-41 lead on a 3-pointer by Ashton Hoover with 4:51 to play.
But Hoover’s three was the last field goal the Blue Devils made.
Kylee Eaton tied the game at 42 on a free throw with 3:09 left and then gave the Lady Falcons the lead for good on a layup with 1:23 to play. Eaton, Cami McNany and Olivia Boocks then each hit a free throw in the final 34.9 seconds to help seal the win.
Eaton had a big game for A-C Valley with a game-high 20 points to go with 14 rebounds.
“Kylee was unstoppable tonight,” Boocks, the point guard said. “That girl couldn’t stop her and then she got into foul trouble and we knew we just had to get it to Kylee. We knew she was the same size (as Cambridge Springs’ post player. Kylee usually does well against girls who are the same size because she is a lot stronger than them.”
Boocks added 14 points for the the Lady Falcons including eight in the third quarter to help A-C Valley take the lead.
“I’m so excited I don’t even know what to do, I’m shaking,” Boocks, who missed last year’s PIAA playoffs with an injury, said. “It is kind of my bounce-back year. It is really special.”
Watch all of Boocks’ postgame interview.
McNany also reached double figures for A-C Valley with 11 points.
Hoover had a team-high 13 points for Cambridge Springs with Julia Mailliard adding12, including four during the run to start the fourth quarter for the Blue Devils.
A-C Valley will take on WPIAL champion Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in the second round Tuesday, March 12, at a time and place to be announced. OLSH beat District 6 fourth-place finisher Blairsville, 63-43.
A-C VALLEY 47, CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS 43
Score by Quarters
Cambridge Springs 13 11 8 11 – 43
A-C Valley 8 15 16 8 – 47
CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS – 43
Rachel Swanson 2 0-0 6, Cori Schmidt 1 0-2 2, Julia Mailliard 4 4-6 12, Brooke Myers 1 0-0 3, Abby Wescott 3 1-2 7, Ashton Hoover 5 0-2 13, Kylee Dies 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 5-12 43.
A-C VALLEY – 47
Cami McNany 4 2-7 11, Olivia Boocks 4 3-4 14, Kylee Eaton 9 2-6 20, Rachel Cullen 0 0-1 0, Andrea Meals 1 0-0 2, Emily Wetzel 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 7-18 47.
Three-pointers: Cambridge Springs 6 (Hoover 3, Swanson 2, Myers). A-C Valley 3 (Boocks 3, McNany).
MOUNT CARMEL 47, CLARION 34
COAL TOWNSHIP, Pa. – A monster game from Dani Rae Renno helped District 4 champion Mount Carmel to a 47-34 win over District 9 third-place finisher Clarion.
Renno scored a game-high 23 points while grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking four shots to help the Red Tornadoes (16-10) advance to the second round where they will face defending PIAA champion and District 6 champion Bellwood-Anthis, a 70-50 winner over Windber, Tuesday, March 12, at a site and time to be announced.
Mount Carmel used a 16-5 second-quarter advantage to build a 25-9 halftime lead before Clarion (17-9) tried to battle back in the third quarter outscoring the Red Tornadoes 14-8 in the frame. But Mount Carmel got six points from Renno in the fourth quarter to keep the Lady Cats at arm’s length.
Lauren Shedleski added 11 points and nine rebounds for Mount Carmel.
Kait Constantino paced Clarion with 10 points and four boards. KK Girvan and Jordan Best each added six points.
MOUNT CARMEL 47, CLARION 34
Score by Quarters
Clarion 4 5 14 11 – 34
Mount Carmel 9 16 8 14 – 47
CLARION – 34
Jenna Miller 0 0-0 0, Payton Simko 0 0-0 0, KK Girvan 4 0-0 8, Lindsey Kemmer 0 0-0 0, Jordan Best 1 4-4 6, Ali Troese 0 2-2 2, Kait Constantino 4 2-3 10, Wendy Beveridge 2 0-0 5, Eva Lerch 1 0-0 2, Ava Cherico 0 1-2 1. Totals 12 9-11 34.
MOUNT CARMEL – 47
Lauren Ayres 1 3-7 6, Caroline Fletcher 1 0-2 2, Lauren Shedleski 3 3-4 111, Brooke Bernini 1 0-0 3, Danni Rae Renno 10 3-5 23, Mia Chapmen 1 0-0 2, Maggie McCracken 0 0-0 0, Jewell Scott 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 9-18 47.
Three-pointers: Clarion 1 (Beveridge). Mount Carmel 4 (Shedleski 2, Bernini, Ayres)
CENTRAL CAMBRIA 73, BROOKVILLE 44
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – Leading from start to finish, District 6 third-place Central Cambria knocked out Brookville from the postseason with a 73-44 rout in the opening round of the Class 3A state playoffs.
Central Cambria (18-7) led 22-6 by the end of the first quarter and 37-19 by halftime, building a lead that got as large as 32 points in the late moments. Four players reached double figures in scoring, led by McKenna Haward’s 19 points. Cassidy Bezek scored 15 points, and Jenna Bauer and Liz Bopp each finished with 10 points.
Brookville had its seven-game winning streak snapped, finishing the year 19-6. Marcy Schindler scored 14 points and Morgan Johnson finished with 11 points. Central Cambria forced 22 Lady Raiders turnovers.
CENTRAL CAMBRIA 73, BROOKVILLE 44
Score By Quarters
Central Cambria 22 15 15 21 – 73
Brookville 6 13 14 11 – 44
CENTRAL CAMBRIA – 73
Jenna Bauer 4 2-4 10, McKenna Hayward 7 5-5 19, Paige Wess 3 0-0 6, Cassidy Bezek 7 1-2 15, Liz Bopp 4 2-2 10, Kiersten Szpal 3 1-2 9, Maggie Kudlawiec 0 0-0 0, Sarah Lockard 2 0-1 4, Megan Stevens 0 0-0 0, Alex Boyles 0 0-0 0. Totals: 30 11-17 73
BROOKVILLE – 44
Madison Johnson 1 1-2 3, Morgan Johnson 5 0-0 11, Kira Powell 2 0-0 4, Marcy Schindler 6 1-2 14, Lexis Hatzinikolas 2 1-2 5, Lauren Hergert 1 0-0 2, Jillian Taylor 0 0-0 0, Jenna Grant 1 3-4 5, Mikayla Aikins 0 0-0 0, Sophie Sharp 0 0-0 0, Brooke Ganoe 0 0-0 0, Leah Kammerdeiner 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 6-12 44.
Three-pointers: Central Cambria 3 (Szpal 2), Brookville 2 (Mo. Johnson, Schindler).
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