STRATTANVILLE, Pa. (EYT/D9) – The Clarion-Limestone girls basketball team was well aware of the stakes against Redbank Valley Monday night.
A win, and the Lions’ Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference Tournament hopes remained alive. A loss, and those dreams were dead.
(Alivia Huffman goes up for a shot against Union/File photo by Shelly Atzeni)
Redbank Valley dashed those C-L dreams, jumping out to an 11-0 lead and a 36-8 halftime advantage on the way to a convincing 57-38 win.
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
Alivia Huffman scored 20 points and also had 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs (17-4, 9-0), who had already wrapped up the KSAC Large School Division title.
The question entering this week was who was going to get the second spot out of the Large Division and enter the four-team championship tournament?
Clarion-Limestone needed to win its final two league games – against Redbank Valley and Cranberry.
But Redbank had other thoughts.
Senior Ryleigh Smathers came up big for the Bulldogs, hitting three 3-pointers and finishing with 11 points.
Freshman Mylee Harmon also scored 11 points for Redbank Valley, which led 19-5 after the first quarter and triggered the mercy rule on the first shot of the third.
Frances Milliron and Kendall Dunn each scored 12 points for Clarion-Limestone.
Dunn also had 12 rebounds.
The Lions (11-9, 5-4) will still advance to the District 9 playoffs.
C-L’s loss sets up what is ostensibly a KSAC quarterfinal between Karns City and Moniteau Tuesday.
The winner of that game, which will be played at Moniteau, will wrap up second place in the Large Division and advance to the four-team tourney.
Moniteau (11-9, 6-3) beat Karns City (12-8, 5-4) in the first meeting this season, 42-36.
The Small School Division is mostly settled.
Union and North Clarion are both in. The two teams play Tuesday at Union with the winner claiming the division crown.
Redbank Valley, Keystone, and Union/A-C Valley sports coverage on Explore and D9Sports.com is brought to you by Heeter Lumber.
