Gatesman Layup with 7.3 Seconds Left Gives North Clarion First Conference Championship

CLARION, Pa. (D9Sports) – It wasn’t how North Clarion head coach Terry Dreihaup drew it up, but he didn’t care.

Listen to the KSAC Title Game as it was broadcast on exploreRadio

(Photo by Mike Schnelle. Check out more of Schnelle’s work here)

Freshman Abby Gatesman’s layup driving across the key with 7.3 seconds left lifted the She-Wolves (21-2) to their first KSAC Title with a 44-43 win over Moniteau (19-4) in the KSAC Girls’ Championship Game Friday night at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym.

“They did a great job of shutting Tori (Obenrader) down,” Dreihaup said. “When Abby got the ball, I thought, go to the hoop. She went right across the middle and laid it in. I didn’t draw it up that way, but I will tell you I did.”

Watch Gatesman’s winning shot.

Moniteau had taken its first lead of the game, 43-42, on an Alazia Greaves 3-pointer with 20.7 seconds left capping a comeback from down eight, 37-29, early in the fourth quarter for the Lady Warriors.

But Dreihaup said his team took a positive outlook to the Greaves triple.

“We basically said we are going to score,” Dreihaup said. “She made it. The point was over. We were down by one. We were going to get the ball across halfcourt. Let’s make the play. Let’s score. They did it. Great job for them.”

Gatesman, who scored four points, was named the co-Hager Paving Player of the Game along with Obenrader, who was also the KSAC Title Game MVP sponsored by exploreClarion.com. Both players talked about the victory.

Moniteau was able to get a timeout with 6.5 seconds left, but Obenrader, who finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds, stepped in front of the long inbounds pass at center court and intercepted it before being fouled with four seconds left.

“Our plan was if they got the ball inbounds with five seconds left we had two fouls to give and we were going to foul,” Dreihaup said. “But when you intercept the pass, it negated all of that. Tori’s was a great steal.”

Obenrader missed the free throw, but Cassie Wagner snared the rebound and tried a putback, which also missed. But the loose ball ended up back in Obenrader’s hands as the clock ran out touching off a wild celebration.

North Clarion appeared to be well in control of the game after Ally Carll made one of two free throws early in the fourth quarter to put the She-Wolves ahead 37-29.

But North Clarion started forcing things a bit missing on a number of 3-pointers, and Moniteau took advantage going on an 8-0 run fueled by four points from Cambrie Campbell, who finished with nine, to tie the game at 37 with 3:39 to play.

“I told them, don’t fall in love with that 3-pointer,” Dreihaup said. “We need to get the ball inside. Do what you can to score from there. That is what they did from there.”

Obenrader had the answer getting a turnover and turning it into an old-school 3-point and a 40-37 lead with 3:23 to play.

But Kristin Auvil, who had the game of her life with four 3-pointers on her way to a team-high 12 points, tied the game at 40 on a 3-pointer with 2:08 left off a Sara Hull pass.

“We told the girls she was a shooter,” Dreihaup said. “We just couldn’t get over to stop her. She made some great shots. She played very well for them tonight.”

Ally Carll put North Clarion back in front, 42-40, on a layup off a Michaela Higgins pass with 1:18 left.

North Clarion led 21-20 at halftime and then grew the lead to 36-29 at the end of the third quarter thanks to 10 third-quarter points from Obenrader.

While Obenrader was solid all night, the same couldn’t be said for Moniteau’s two 1,000-point scorers.

Kristina DeMatteis was held to five points and 10 rebounds with all five points coming in the second quarter, while Greaves, who was either sick or hurt, had four points.

Campbell, Auvil and Emma Bair, who had 10 points and a game-high 21 rebounds, picked up the slack to keep the Lady Warriors, who were looking to win a conference title for the first time since 1984, in the contest.

Moniteau really hurt itself from the free-throw line going 5 of 17 compared to 8 of 14 for North Clarion

Both teams move into the District 9 playoffs.

North Clarion, which lost in last year’s KSAC Championship Game to Karns City, will be the No. 1 seed in the Class 1A playoffs where it will face either Brockway or Smethport next week in the quarterfinals.

Moniteau is the top seed in the two-team Class 3A bracket and will play rival Karns City in the title game Friday, Feb. 24 at a site and time to be determined.

NORTH CLARION 44, MONITEAU 43

Score by Quarters

North Clarion 11 10 15 8 – 44
Moniteau 8 12 9 14 – 43

NORTH CLARION – 44

Abby Gatesman 2 0-0 4, Tori Obenrader 9 3-5 23, Ally Carll 1 5-8 7, Cassie Wagner 2 0-0 4, Michaela Higgins 1 0-0 3, Gabby Carll 1 0-1 3, Gena Caldwell 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 8-14 44.

MONITEAU – 43

Andie Arblaster 0 0-0 0, Cambrie Campbell 4 0-0 9, Emma Bair 4 2-8 10, Sara Hull 1 1-2 3, Kristina DeMatteis 2 1-5 5, Alazia Greaves 1 1-2 4, Izzy Bair 0 0-0 0, Kristin Auvil 4 0-0 12, MaKayla King 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 5-17 43.

Three-pointer: North Clarion 4 (Obenrader 2, Higgins, Gabby Carll). Moniteau 6 (Auvil 4, Campbell, Greaves).