BROOKVILLE, Pa. (D9Sports) – An early 15-point deficit didn’t deter second-seeded Redbank Valley, as the Lady Bulldogs rallied past sixth-seeded Clarion, 63-51, in the District 9 Class 2A girls’ semifinals at Brookville High School.
(Photo of Redbank Valley’s Madison Foringer)
“(Coach Edmonds) told us we just have to get pumped up and work as a team and play good,” Redbank Valley sophomore Madison Foringer, who was named the Hager Paving Player of the Game after scoring 13 points and hauling down 19 rebounds, said.
Watch Foringer’s full postgame interview.
Clarion led 25-10 at the midpoint of the second quarter but saw that lead cut to five, 25-20, by halftime.
Relisten to the game:
The Lady Bulldogs then just kept coming in the second half, going on an 8-2 run to start the third quarter to go ahead, 28-27, three minutes into the third quarter.
The teams then went into the fourth quarter tied at 37 before Redbank Valley built a 56-51 lead thanks in large part to Foringer, who scored three fourth-quarter baskets while also having a free throw as part of an old-school 3-point play.
“I just looked to get open and try to score and get rebounds,” Foringer said.
The Lady Bulldogs were also helped in the fourth quarter by the fact that Tara Hinderliter finally started to get going scoring seven of her 14 points in the final eight minutes, including hitting 5 of 6 free throws.
Hinderliter, District 9’s leading scorer, was held scoreless in the first half, but Redbank Valley was able to stay in the game thanks to freshman Alyvia Huffman, who had 11 of her team-high 18 points in the first half. Huffman added 12 rebounds.
Hinderliter finally got some traction in the third quarter scoring seven points to help the Lady Bulldogs forge the tie.
While Hinderliter wasn’t scoring, Clarion’s Kait Constantino, the second-leading scorer in D9 was being shut down as well being limited to four first-half points, all in the second quarter.
But while Redbank Valley was limiting Constantino, her fellow senior, KK Girvin, was on fire. Girvin hit three first-half 3-pointers and scored 15 points in the opening half to help Clarion jump to the 25-10 lead.
“We started out in a box-and-one trying to wear down Kate (Constantino) a little bit,” Redbank Valley head coach Chris Edmonds said. “But KK (Girvan) stepped up and hit some good shots for them. And then after that, we went back to what we’ve been doing all year with the two-three and three-two zone defenses, working to get the rebounds and then outletting and going and then after halftime we came out in our pressure 2-2-1. The last couple times we played Clarion we’ve done a 1-3-1, so we jumped into the 2-2-1 tonight.”
Girvin ended the contest with a game-high 23 points, while Constantino added 12 points, including seven in the third quarter, and 12 rebounds.
Redbank Valley will take on Keystone in the championship game at 6 p.m. Friday at Clarion University’s Tippin Gym.
“We had couple goals this year,” Edmonds said. “One was to get to the playoffs, Tara (Hinderliter) and the seniors hadn’t been to the playoffs yet, so one of our goals was to get to the playoffs. Once we made KSAC Championship game (a 53-36 loss to North Clarion at CUP on Feb. 15), that experience was great and all the girls wanted to get back to it. So here we are.”
Clarion will play Ridgway in the consolation game at 7 p.m. Friday at DuBois High School.
REDBANK VALLEY 63, CLARION 51
Score By Quarters
Clarion 11 14 12 14 – 51
Redbank 10 10 17 26 – 63
CLARION – 51
Payton Simko 3 0-0 6, Jordan Best 2 3-4 7, KK Girvan 8 4-8 23, Kaitlyn Constantino 3 5-6 12, Noel Anthony 0 1-4 1, Eva Lerch 0 2-2 2, Rebekah Ketner 0 0-0 0. Totals: 16 15-24 51.
REDBANK VALLEY 63
Tara Hinderliter 3 8-10 14, Lauren Smith 3 1-2 7, Emma Huffman 1 0-0 2, Madison Foringer 6 1-1 13, Claire Clouse 1 0-0 2, Ryleigh Smathers 0 0-0 0, Alivia Huffman 6 5-11 18, Caylen Rearick 3 0-2 7, Gabby Dinger 0 0-0 0, Megan Gourley 0 0-0 0, Brooklyn Edmonds 0 0-0 0, Karlee Shoemaker 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 15-26 63.
Three-pointers: Clarion 4 (Girvan 3, Constantino). Redbank Valley 2 (Rearick, A. Huffman).
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