Lady Cats Defeat Cameron County, Headed To District Nine Class-AA Title Game 02/25/15)

In what can only be described as a banner year for KSAC basketball, the Clarion Area Lady Cats will join six other teams from the Conference, in District Nine Championship games on Saturday (February 28th). The Lady Cats punched their ticket with a 45-37 Semi-Final win over the Cameron County Lady Red Raiders, on Tuesday (February 24th), at the Dubois Middle School gymnasium.

(All photos by Jack Kenneson) Maci Thornton, the game’s leading scorer

The Lady Cats will face Venango Catholic in an All-KSAC Class-A Girls Final, one of three All-KSAC Finals. The Redbank Valley Lady Bulldogs will play the Karns City Lady Gremlins in the Class-AA Girls Final and the Redbank Valley Bulldogs will face the Cranberry Berries in the Class-AA Boys Final. The other KSAC School in a Championship game, the Clarion-Limestone Lions will face Cameron County Red Raiders in the Class-A Boys Final. All the games will be played at CUP’s Tippin Gymnasium. The game times will be finalized on Thursday (February 26th).

(This may be the first time in history that there have been three All-KSAC/Clarion County League Finals and first time the Conference has had seven teams in the big games.)

The Lady Cats game with Cameron County, started much like the Quarter-Final game with Keystone, with star player Maci Thornton getting two early fouls and having to set much of the first half. Just like the game with the Lady Panthers, other Bobcat teammates filled the void, in keeping the team in the game, in Thornton’s absence.

Julie Kenneson, showing great defense against CC

And just like the Quarter-Final game, Thornton came back and took over the second half, but this time with some major great scoring help by Anna Reed and Lauren Wiser.

The game was tied 8-all after one. The Lady Cats led by two, at the half, led by Nicki Glenn’s six points.

The Lady Raiders scored the first six points of the third quarter, and held a 29-26 lead at the end of the quarter. Four points apiece by Wiser, Thornton and Reed kept the Lady Cats close entering the final stanza.

The Cats used great defense throughout the game, as evidenced in the fourth quarter, where they held Cameron County to just eight points. Clarion scored nineteen in the frame, including 10 by Thornton, and four by Reed. The game ended with Sophie Wolf hitting two free throws, with five seconds left, giving the Cats the 45-37 victory.

Thornton finished the game with 19 points, followed by Reed with 9 and Wiser with eight. Glenn had 5 points. Wolf and Kelly Beveridge each had two and Maddi Weaver scored one.

Nicki Glenn shooting from outside

Maddison Harrier led the Lady Red Raiders with seventeen.

CAT QUOTES:

Maci Thornton:  “Obviously, I wanted to makeup for my lack of presence in the first half. I owed it to my team to bring everything I had the second half, because I knew we would need me to win, because we were kind of close the entire first, second and third quarter.

“I think that the easiest way to win is not so much scoring yourself, but getting everyone involved in making plays and making stuff happen, whether that’s passing or rebounding or getting steals or whatever. It’s just things that get your team hyped. To give them the will to win.  I just wanted to make sure that I showed up in the second half whether it was scoring or anything else I could do to help out.

“I’m proud of my team. We’ve come a long way. It’s been a bumpy season, but I’m glad that we are finally starting to click when it matters. I’m really proud of them. I’m ready to keep the streak going.”

Coach Ed Baumcratz: “Tonight we had a hard fought game. Cameron County came to play. I knew it was going to be a hard game. They’re a very scrappy team, good shooting team. And I think we did a nice job with their shooters.

“But that first half, we weren’t playing well and we weren’t connecting as a team. Maci got in some foul trouble and she had to sit most of the first half. But her teammates, as a whole, did a great job of stepping up and filling that role, kind of kept the score close while she was out.

“I had to sub her in and out, just to be smart, so she wouldn’t be in any foul trouble in the second half. She did a nice job in the second half, playing a lot smarter basketball.

“The first half, I thought we were terrible from the free throw line. The second half we won the game from the foul line.

Anna Reed going to the hoop

“Great game. It was better playing a close game rather than blowing them out. I’m glad that was the case tonight. And we came out on top. These girls still want to play; they still want to fight and you are going to see them on the CUP floor on Saturday for the Championship.

“Both of these two teams Venango and Elk County are awesome teams. No matter who we get, it’s going to be a battle; it’s going to be a dog fight; it’s going to be a slugfest. And I expect nothing but good things on our side.”

(Thanks to Jack Kenneson for the photos. GREAT JOB LADY CATS!!!! LET’S ALL TURN OUT ON SATURDAY AND CHEER THE LADY CATS ON TO VICTORY!!!! LET’S GO CATS!!!! LET’S GO CATS!!!! LET’S GO CATS!!!!…)