CLARION — Few teams could have withstood the 3-point barrage that Otto-Eldred saw on Saturday.
But, after falling behind North Clarion early, the Terrors rallied in the second half. In the end, O-E out-shot NC, winning the District 9 Class A boys basketball third-place game, 70-62. Ausin Cousins scored 20 points and knocked down six 3-pointers himself, leading the Terrors in an offense-heavy game.
“(NC) couldn’t miss in the first half,” O-E coach Steve Bell said. “We may have been in a little funk after losing the other night, so we went in at half time and had a talk about really playing our brand of basketball and trying to get some stops so we could claw our way back into it.”
Collin Schmader was hot for the Wolves early on, leading a 39-point first half. Landon Francis was hot as well, however, and when Cousins got going in the third quarter, O-E began to turn the tide.
“We talked about just getting it close going into the fourth quarter and we would be okay,” Bell said. “We made a run at the end of the third to go up by one going into the fourth, so I said, okay, we’re right where we want to be. In the fourth quarter, we really locked down on defense. We got stop after stop and kept putting a point or two on the board here and there.”
Landon Francis finished with 16 points, six rebounds and five assists for O-E, while Gavin Jimerson tacked on 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Manning Splain added an additional 11 points for the Terrors.
“We got into more of our style of basketball — sharing the ball and moving it around,” Bell said. “(NC) played a lot of zone so we worked inside out to get our shooters going. I really believe that, if we get a lead late in the game with our guards and our free-throw shooting, we should be able to lock it down.”
Schmader and Aiden Hartle each scored 15 points for NC, while Josh Daum chipped in with 14 points. O-E will travel to District 6 runner-up Williamsburg on Tuesday for the first rebound of the PIAA Tournament.
Daum 6 0-0 14, Byers 4 0-0 9, Schmader 5 1-2 15, Hartle 5 3-4 15, Carll 1 0-0 3, Castner 2 0-0 4.
Otto-Eldred (70)Jimerson 6 3-4 15, Cousins 7 0-0 20, Splain 3 3-4 11, Francis 5 2-3 16, Thomas 2 0-2 4, Walker 2 0-0 4.
Three-point goals: NC 10 (Daum 2, Byers, Schmader 4, Hartle 2, Carll), O-E 12 (Cousins 6, Splain 2, Francis 4); Total fouls: NC 13, O-E 6; fouled out:
Fifth Place
Johnsonburg 52, Clarion 46
JOHNSONBURG — Three double-digit scorers powered Johnsonburg to a PIAA Tournament berth, as the Rams battled all the way back after dropping a District 9 quarterfinal to claim 5th place in Class A.
Isaiah Jackson led the way with 15 points for Jburg, while Jefferson Freeburg scored 14 points and Jake Lobaugh added 12. The Rams started to pull away in the third quarter, taking a 10-point lead into the final frame, but holding on in the fourth.
Jburg will now play Bishop Canevin (District 7) Tuesday in the PIAA first round.
Lauer 3 0-0 8, Alston 0 3-4 3, Merrill 4 4-5 10, C. Simko 3 6-10 12, G. Simko 3 1-3 8, Quinn 1 0-0 2, Smail 1 0-0 2.
Johnsonburg (52)Freeburg 4 4-4 14, Lobaugh 4 1-2 12, Asti 1 0-0 2, Zimmerman 1 0-2 3, Jackson 7 1-4 15, Myers 3 0-0 6.
Three-point goals: Clarion 2 (Lauer 2), Jburg 5 (Freeburg 2, Lobaugh 3); Total fouls: Clarion 12, Jburg; fouled out:
GIRLS CLASS A
Third Place
North Clarion 43, Ridgway 40
TIONESTA — Despite a second-half comeback and Payton Delhunty’s 3-point shooting display, the Ridgway girls fell in the Class A 3rd-place game.
North Claroin jumped out to an early lead and held off the Lady Elkers in the second half. Delhunty hit six 3-pointers on her way to 18 points and Ridgway allowed just four pointsi n the third quarter, but NC held on for the win. Jenna Kasmierski added 10 points for the Lady Elkers, who will travel to Williamsburg (District 6) Wednesday for the first round of the PIAA Tournament.
Amacher 2 0-0 4, Kasmierski 4 1-2 10, Thomas 2 2-3 6, Delhunty 6 0-0 18, Ellenberger 2 0-2 2.
North Clarion (43)M. McFarland 3 1-2 7, Green 1 0-0 2, E. McFarland 2 0-0 5, Kriebel 0 1-4 1, Siegel 7 2-2 16, Lutz 4 0-0 8, Aites 2 0-0 4.
Three-point goals: Ridgway 7 (Delhunty 6, Kasmierski), NC 1 (McFarland); Total fouls: Ridgway 11, NC 8; fouled out:
GIRLS CLASS AAAA
Sub-Regional
Villa Maria 66, St. Marys 24
ST. MARYS — Izzy Catalone and Jayssa Snelick each scored five points for St. Marys in a Villa Maria rout.
Each side qualified for the PIAA Tournament. St. Marys will travel to District 7 runner-up Knoch.
Walz 6 2-2 16, Dunham 4 0-0 12, Lucosath 1 0-0 3, Mayes 2 0-0 5, Shaughnessy 3 0-0 6, McBride 4 0-0 19, McCosmick 1 0-0 2, Biel 6 0-0 12.
St. Marys (24)Erich 1 0-0 3, Catalone 2 0-0 5, Snelick 2 1-2 5, Eckels 2 0-2 4, M. Caskey 1 2-2 4, I. Caskey 1 1-2 3.
Three-point goals: VMI 10 (Walz 2, Dunham 4, Lucosath, Mayes, McBride 2), St. Marys 2 (Erich, Catalone); Total fouls: VMI 13, St. Marys 2; fouled out: None.
