CLARION, Pa. (D9Sports) – A pair of District 9 girls’ basketball champions will be crowned Friday night when Redbank Valley battles Keystone in the Class 2A title game and Moniteau takes on Brookville in the Class 3A title contest.
(Photo: Emily Lauer of Keystone (left) and Marcy Schindler of Brookville (right))
(2) Redbank Valley vs. (4) Keystone
When: 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 28
Where: Clarion University’s Tippin Gym
Records: Redbank Valley (18-7), Keystone (16-8)
How they got here: Both teams have two playoff wins, Redbank Valley (37-25 over Kane; 63-51 over Clarion) and Keystone (50-43 over Cranberry; 43-41 over Ridgway).
Leading scorers: Redbank Valley: Tara Hinderliter (21.6 ppg.), Alivia Huffman (8.6 ppg.), Lauren Smith (7.3 ppg.), Madison Foringer (6.1 ppg.). Keystone: Emily Lauer (14.9 ppg.), Jozee Weaver (8.1 ppg.), Natalie Bowser (7.0 ppg.).
About Redbank Valley: The Lady Bulldogs won a hotly contested KSAC South title against Keystone and Cranberry. They split their regular-season matchups with the Lady Panthers, losing at Keystone (54-46) Dec. 17 but winning at home (50-41) on Feb. 4. Hinderliter scored 14 points in the win and was the only Lady Bulldog in double figures. She scored three points in the loss while Emma Huffman and Alivia Huffman scored 19 and 16 points respectively. … Foringer has grabbed 36 rebounds in their two playoff wins. … After starting the season 13-2 with losses to Keystone and Mercer, the Lady Bulldogs have been 5-5 since. However, after ending the regular-season and KSAC title game with three straight losses, they’ve won their two postseason games. … The Lady Bulldogs seek their first D9 title since 1998 and they’ve lost four times in the finals since then: 2015, 2004, 2003 and 1999 all to Karns City in Class 2A in the previous four-class setup. They beat Karns City 58-52 in double OT for the 1998 title. Prior to that, the Lady Bulldogs won 2A titles in 1996, 1994 and 1993.
About Keystone: In their regular-season matchups with the Lady Bulldogs, Lauer scored 12 points and was the lone double-figure scorer in the loss at New Bethlehem. In the win at home in December, Lauer scored 23 points while Bowser finished with 11 points. … Weaver’s 18 points against Ridgway in the semifinals was a season-high total. She also assisted on Bowser’s winning basket in the closing seconds. … Keystone split with Cranberry and Redbank Valley, lost to Clarion and unbeaten North Clarion along with a non-league loss to D9 Class 4A finalist St. Marys. Its other three losses are to Slippery Rock, Hempfield and Harbor Creek. … Keystone’s last title came in Class 1A in the four-class system in 2016 when it beat Elk County Catholic, 53-37. The Lady Panthers own two other titles in 2012 (Class 2A win over Clarion) and 1978 (Class 2A win in three-class setup over Elk County Catholic.
Game tidbits: Both teams advance to the state playoffs starting March 6 at a D9 site and time to be announced. The winner gets the District 10 fourth-place finisher, the loser of Saturday’s Cochranton vs. Cambridge Springs game Saturday at Meadville starting at 1 p.m. The D9 runner-up gets the winner of that game.
(2) Brookville vs. (1) Moniteau
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28
Where: Clarion University’s Tippin Gym
Records: Moniteau (11-11), Brookville (11-11)
How they got here: They were the only teams in the bracket, thus a title game matchup for a state berth. Because District 5 didn’t have a Class 3A team enter the postseason, the D9 champion goes directly to the state playoffs.
Leading scorers: Moniteau: Aslyn Pry (15 ppg.), Kristin Auvil (12.6 ppg.). Brookville: Marcy Schindler (14.5 ppg.), Morgan Johnson (10.2 ppg.), Lauren Hergert (9 ppg.), Madison Johnson (8.9 ppg.).
About Moniteau: The Lady Warriors lost 54-40 to Brookville in last year’s D9 final at Keystone High School, but they got some revenge of sorts with a 55-54 OT win over Brookville at home back on Jan. 6 as Pry scored 19 points, and Auvil and Rottman finished with 14 points apiece. Moniteau was 2-8 prior to that win and has gone 9-3 since then, including a win over KSAC South rival Redbank Valley after losing the first matchup by 22 points. … Moniteau has won three D9 titles, the last coming back in Class 2A in 2001 (50-44 over Karns City) with the others in 1984 (70-23 over Brookville) and 1983 (56-41 over Elk County Catholic). They’ve lost in the D9 final six times — last year, 2017, 2016, 2012, 2006 and 1979.
About Brookville: In the Lady Raiders’ loss at Moniteau, Schindler fouled out late in the game with 17 points, 11 rebounds and eight blocked shots after collecting 15 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks in the first half alone. Schindler scored 26 points against Moniteau in last year’s final. In this year’s game, Madison Johnson added 16 points and eight rebounds to go along with four assists and three steals while also fouling out. … The loss at Moniteau was answered with a three-game winning streak before the Lady Raiders lost five straight. But they’ve won two of their last three games with the loss a two-pointer to St. Marys after losing to the Lady Dutch by 26 points at home back in December. … Brookville, looking for its third straight Class 3A title, owns 12 D9 titles with the others last year, 2018, 2013, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1991, 1990, 1986, 1985, 1982 and 1981.
Game tidbits: Friday’s winner advances to the PIAA playoffs on March 6 against the District 6 third-place finisher at a D9 site and time to be announced. United and Penn Cambria play for that spot Friday at Forest Hills High School.
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