A look at Friday’s high school basketball action brought to you by D9Sports.com.
PUNXSUTAWNEY 40, ELK COUNTY CATHOLIC 36
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. – Punxsutawney overcame a slow start to capture at least a tie of the D9 League title with a 40-36 win over visiting Elk County Catholic.
The Lady Chucks, who hadn’t won a D9 League title since 2007, can grab the outright crown with a win in any of their final three D9 League contests or one loss by DuBois in any of the Lady Beavers final three games. The teams meet Feb. 5 in Punxsutawney.
Punxsy scored just three points in the first quarter and trailed ECC 7-3 at the end of the quarter before catching fire in the second eight minutes to take a 17-14 halftime lead.
Hope Bridge led the Lady Chucks with 11 points, while Leah Miller added 10.
Reilly Herzing paced ECC with 15 points.
MARION CENTER 40, BROOKVILLE 31
BROOKVILLE, Pa. – Visiting Marion Center limited Brookville to just five field goals through three quarters and notched a 40-31 non-conference win.
The Lady Raiders were tied with the Stingers at 8-8 after the first quarter, but Marion Center outscored them 25-9 in the second and third quarters to take a 16-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Brookville’s Elaina Powell scored 23 points with seven 3-pointers, four of them coming in the fourth quarter.
Laken Ryen scored 15 points for Marion Center.
KANE 39, DUBOIS CENTRAL CATHOLIC 36
DUBOIS, Pa. – A 10-0 first-quarter run helped lift Kane to a key AML win, 39-36, at DuBois Central Catholic.
The Lady Cardinals grabbed an early 2-0 lead before Kane rolled off the next 10 points. The Lady Wolves never trailed again.
Freshman Ella Marconi led Kane with 23 points.
Riley Assalone had a team-high 18 for DCC.
With the win, Kane continues to control its own destiny in the AML North. If the Lady Wolves beat Curwensville and Brockway to close out the season, they will win the AML North title.
DUBOIS 53, ST. MARYS 50, 2 OVERTIMES
DUBOIS, Pa. – Taylore Uplinger scored five of her 11 points in the second overtime to help DuBois outlast visiting St. Marys, 53-50, in D9 League action.
The game was tied at 46 after on overtime before the Lady Beavers outpaced the Lady Dutch 7-4 in the second four-minute extra session.
DuBois overcame a 34-31 deficit going into the fourth quarter to force overtime with the score knotted at 40. The two teams then each scored six points in the first overtime with Dayna DeSalve netting four of her five points in the first extra session.
Courtney Chandler led DuBois with 15 points, while Laura Fatula added 10.
Rachel Bauer had a game-high 17 points to lead St. Marys including six in the two overtimes. She scored four of the Lady Dutch’s six points in the first overtime. Kaitlyn Barackman added 12 tallies, with Rachelle Armanini adding nine points.
NORTH CLARION 64, CLARION-LIMESTONE 32
FRILLS CORNERS, Pa. – Tori Obenrader and Abbie Schmader each recorded double-doubles to help North Clarion roll past visiting Clarion-Limestone, 64-32, in KSAC North play.
Obenrader had 19 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, while Schmader added 14 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. The 13 rebounds actually ended a streak of eight straight games for Obenrader having 15 or more rebounds. She has recorded double-digits rebounds in all 19 games this season and is averaging 17.4 rebounds per game with 18 double-doubles.
For Schmader, it was her third straight double-double and her 15th double-double on the season. She is averaging 10.5 rebounds per game.
Josie Stitt led C-L with 15 points.
VENANGO CATHOLIC 32, FOREST AREA 27
TIONESTA, Pa. – Venango Catholic outscored Forest Area 13-7 in the fourth quarter to grab a 32-27 KSAC North victory at West Forest.
Ava Homan led the Lady Vikings with 14 points.
Morgan Silvis pace the Lady Fires with 13 points.