KARNS CITY — With all the hoopla that comes with Senior Night festivities, it took a little time for the Karns City offense to get going.

Once it started, it was hard to stop.

The Gremlins used a 15-2 run in a 3-minute, 45-second span to erase a four-point deficit. But they needed an 8-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to pull away from Clarion-Limestone in a 60-47 victory in Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference girls basketball action Thursday.

"We got off to a slow start," said Karns City coach Dave Kerschbaumer. "The girls didn't seemed focused in the beginning. Around the middle of the first quarter, we seemed to start to focus better."

After a three-point play by Erica Keck gave the Lions a 10-6 lead, Karns City scored 15 of the next 17 points, including six by Katie Weibel, to take a 21-12 lead in the second quarter.

Clarion-Limestone (7-14, 6-11) responded by scoring the next seven points, which started on another three-point play by Keck, to close the gap to 21-19.

Karns City (13-9, 10-7) took a 27-22 lead into halftime and held a 35-29 advantage in the third quarter before a basket by Keck and a three-point play by Nicole Wiesczyk trimmed the deficit to one point.

"We told the girls at halftime to keep going at them," said C-L coach Gus Simpson. "Karns City did a great job fronting our girls."

The Gremlins' Ashley Campbell scored three consecutive baskets and Allyson Kepple added another one to give Karns City a 43-34 fourth-quarter lead.

Campbell had a run of 12 consecutive Karns City points in the second half to help her finish with a game-high 20 points.

"Ashley was a little more aggressive tonight," said Kerschbaumer. "She had a bit of a lull in the middle of the season, but I think we got the Ashley Campbell we had at the beginning of the year.

"I gave her a tape of the Ford City game and she asked if she had homework tonight. I said 'Find this Ashley Campbell player and bring her back.'"

"Any time you play Karns City, you try to do two things," said Simpson. "You keep Campbell off the boards and Allyson Kepple from scoring, and I thought we did that. We just couldn't get momentum."

Baskets by Keck and Wiesczyk cut the score to 43-38, but the Gremlins got a big push off the bench when Caitlin Davis gave Weibel a breather and promptly scored baskets on consecutive possessions to give Karns City a 47-38 lead with 4:30 left.

Clarion-Limestone would pull no closer than seven points the rest of the way, and the Gremlins sank 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to ice the game.

Campbell finished with eight rebounds and six assists, while Kepple added 12 points and seven assists. Weibel added eight points and eight rebounds, and Maureen McGreevy had eight points and six rebounds.

"I thought our post play played very well," said Kerschbaumer. "Maureen, Katie Weibel, Cait Davis — we got a lot out of them tonight."

Notes: The Lions got 16 points from Keck and 12 from Wiesczyk. ... C-L converted four three-point plays in the game. ... Kepple, Weibel and Kylee Rankin were honored before the game as the team's three seniors. ... The win marked the Gremlins first three-game winning streak of the season.

CLARION-LIMESTONE 47Olivia Pinson 1 2-4 4, Ashley Klepfer 1 2-3 4, Jamie Wyatt 2 4-5 9, Erica keck 7 2-2 16, Nicole Wiesczyk 6 0-1 12, Kellie Wyatt 0 0-0 0, Muir Kepler 1 0-0 2, Jade Walker 0 0-1 0, Lynnie Schirmer 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 10-16 47.

KARNS CITY 60Hannah Beck 0 0-0 0, Katie Weibel 4 0-2 8, Kylee Rankin 0 3-4 3, Ashley Campbell 6 8-9 20, Allyson Kepple 4 4-5 12, Taylor Kerschbaumer 1 0-0 2, Caitlin Davis 3 1-2 7, Maureen McGreevy 4 0-0 8. Totals: 22 16-22 60.

Clarion-Limestone 10 12 12 13—47Karns City 10 17 12 21—603-point goals: J. Wyatt

JV: Clarion-Limestone, 36-32

Tuesday: Karns City at Redbank Valley