Lady Cats Win Second Straight District Nine Class-A Basketball Title (03/02/14)

Well, it wasn’t quite as long between District Titles, this time. After last year’s 56-41 District Nine Class-A Title Game victory over Port Allegany, ended a 21 year title drought, the 2013-14 Clarion Area Lady Cats decided they would like to start a different streak.  And with Saturday’s 63-52, Championship Game victory over Keystone, at Tippin Gymnasium, they now have two straight Titles.

(Photos by Jack Kenneson)
2013-14 District Nine Class-A Champion Lady Cats

The Lady Cats nearly led wire to wire, with Keystone’s only lead coming early. After a Grace Kroh free throw and a bucket by Kyla Miles gave Clarion a 3-0 lead to open the game, Lady Panther Madison Johnson hit both shots on two consecutive trips to the free throw line, giving Keystone a 4-3 lead. But the Bobcats reeled off nine straight points, including a Nicki Glenn buzzer beating 3-pointer to take a 12-4 lead after one.

A big, big key to the quarter and much the game, was Kroh’s work inside, rebounding, blocking shots, making steals and tie ups to disrupt Keystone’s rhythm.

A put back by Miles (who also had her usual solid night in the paint), at the start of the second period, started an 8-2 Clarion run. The bucket gave the Cats a fourteen point lead, their biggest of the half, at 20-6. Miles (who led Clarion, with 20 points) outdueled Johnson (the game’s leading scorer, with 28) by one point, in the quarter, 8-7, as the Bobcats held a 26-15 lead at the half.

Nicki Glenn, who had a buzzer beating trey at the end of the first period

Grace Kroh going strong to the hoop

With a 17-8 run, in the third, led by Maci Thornton (who turned in a fine 19 point performance, for the game), Clarion opened up a twenty-point lead, their biggest of the contest, at 43-23. The 42nd and 43rd points came with Miles hitting a layup. The Panthers would close the period with two straight buckets and the Bobcats led 43-27, heading into the fourth, in what could best be described as a track meet on the hardwood.

The final stanza saw the scoreboard light up with forty-five points. The teams went back and forth, up and down the court. And when the smoke settled, Keystone scored twenty-five. Johnson, who scored 13, in the frame including 3-treys, hit a two-point bucket, late, to cut the deficit to eight, at 60-52. But the Bobcats countered with a balanced attack, to score twenty points of their own. Clarion closed out the scoring with Paige Weaver and Katelyn Beichner hitting one and two free throws, respectively, to come away with the 63-52 victory.

Anna Reed joined Miles and Thornton in double figures with 10 points, Kroh had 4 and Glenn had three. Laken Ganoe, Lauren Wiser and Katelyn Beichner each had two and Paige Weaver had one point.

The “12th,” or in the case of basketball, I guess it would be “7th MAN,” was a major factor in the Lady Cats’ motivation. Not only did the students come out in droves, they came decked out in full regalia, some with faces painted Black and Orange, two as Bobcat mascots, others wearing a Dracula cape, Sombrero, Stetson, hard hat, leprechaun hat, ninja get-ups, even three hotdogs, a taco… Number-One Bobcat Fan, Ryan Wiser came as Superman. And when they weren’t loud enough, Junior High Girls Coach Dave Constantino, took it on himself to go out on the floor and lead them in a cheer. I think he may have an ulterior motive (taking over Ryan’s Number One Slot?).

“7th Man”

Coach Roger Walter had glowing comments about the Bobcats’ Student Cheering Section, saying, “Clarion fans showed up and were a big part of the win. There were time outs where I’m trying to tell the girls what I want to tell them and they’re busy, ([not] looking over at me), to see their friends and supporters, up in the stands. They were a huge part.

“Hey, I want to give the ten guys, that were at (the) Port Allegany game, the other night, the credit. I challenged them, ‘Bring some people to this game.’ And they stepped up. So blessing to our students.”

On winning two in a row, Coach Walter said, “The game and the experience, being here three times in a row, getting back-to-back wins; very few people do that. Very few people get to be here. And we made it a continual showing here. So, credit to the girls. They work hard.”

When asked about Kroh’s inside play (especially the way she just took the game over at the start), Coach Walter said, “One of the goals we have on the board, says, ‘Dominate the glass,’ and  I wrote it at five different spots. So as I was giving our pregame talk, I’d say, ‘Dominate the glass,’ talked for a minute, then, ‘Dominate the glass.’ And Grace let it sink in. She crashed the boards HARD! And that’s what we needed to do.

“Our advantage was the inside. Their advantage was their speed and quickness.  Both teams took advantage of what they needed to. We just won out in the end.”

Anna Reed scored 10 points against the Panthers.

Katelyn Beichner putting the finishing touches on the victory

With the way the game transpired, Coach Walter was able to let every player see time on the court in the District Championship. He said, “Whenever that game was out of touch, our seniors have to see the floor. It was fantastic to watch some of them score. Just a great experience. I’m glad everyone got to have it.”

Both teams will now play, at Tippin Gym, in the PIAA State Playoffs, next Saturday (March 8). The Lady Cats will face Frazier, the number 5 team out of District 7 (WPIAL), at 5:30PM, preceeded by Keystone matching up with Claysburg-Kimmel, the number 3 team out of District 6, at 4:00PM.

CONGRATULATIONS LADY CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!