CLARION — There is no most valuable player award given out at the conclusion of the District 9 basketball playoffs.

But if there was, Karns City's Allyson Kepple and Ashley Campbell would split it right down the middle.

Kepple (18 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals) and Campbell (21 points and 10 rebounds) led the Gremlins to a 55-43 victory over Cranberry in the girls Class AA championship game Wednesday night at Clarion University.

"Those two are the cornerstones of our team," said KC coach Dave Kerschbaumer. "The other girls look to them."

Kepple and Campbell, who combined for 37 points in the district semifinal win over Kane, each had their moments in the spotlight Wednesday.

Campbell scored all six of the Gremlins' points in the first quarter and added 13 in the second half, which included a 7-of-8 performance at the free throw line.

Thirteen of Kepple's points came in the second quarter, which saw the Gremlins take control of the game by outscoring the Berries 19-4.

On the night, Kepple was 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

A senior, Kepple has been a key member of three straight District 9 title teams.

"Every season, it seems like people say, 'Yeah, you guys won it last year, but I don't know about this year,'" said Kepple. "We like proving people wrong."

The Berries shot just three-of-23 from the field in the first two quarters and trailed 25-10 at halftime.

"I don't know why we weren't ready," said Cranberry coach Chrissy Shumaker. "The last few days in practice, we knew our schemes and I felt good."

But the Berries had a lot of fight left in them and it showed in the second half.

Cranberry (17-9) slowly chipped away at KC's lead, and when Chyanne Shuffstall hit a basket with 1:45 left in the third period, the Gremlins' advantage was just 34-30.

"We just got in a slump like we usually do," said Campbell. "But we believed in the end we'd come out on top. There was no doubt."

KC closed the third quarter with a 4-0 run and a 38-30 lead.

At the start of the final period, Campbell rebounded two missed field goals before finally getting a shot to fall for a 40-30 lead.

The Berries made one more run, getting to within 42-35 midway through the fourth period, but Taylor Kerschbaumer drained a 3-pointer that put KC back on top by 10 points at 45-35.

Cranberry defeated Karns City 46-42 in the teams' only regular season meeting Jan. 17.

"The difference between then and now was the word 'championship,'" said Shumaker. "If anything, I'd say our girls came out scared tonight."

At one point this season, when the Gremlins were 9-8, some might have wondered which direction the Gremlins would take.

They ended up taking the route that led to the district championship.

"We went through a lot of close losses at the beginning of the season and I told the girls to learn from them," said coach Kerschbaumer. "I think that helped us here tonight."

Notes: Emily Hatch led Cranberry with 14 points. ... KC sophomore forward Maureen McGreevey left the game with an undisclosed injury in the first half, which limited her to eight minutes of action. ... Hannah Beck, Kepple and Campbell played all 32 minutes. ... The Gremlins (16-10) open the PIAA playoffs Feb. 29 against the fifth-place team out of the WPIAL.

KARNS CITY 55Taylor Kerschbaumer 2 3-4 8, Caitlin Davis 1 0-0 2, Allyson Kepple 6 2-4 18, Hannah Beck 0 2-2 2, Ashley Campbell 5 11-13 21, Katie Weibel 1 0-1 2, Maureen McGreevey 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 18-24 55.

CRANBERRY 43Emily Hatch 5 0-0 14, Laura Heineman 1 0-0 2, Lyndsay Burneisen 1 0-0 3, Chyanne Shuffstall 3 0-0 6, Maggie O'Neil 1 6-8 8, Hannah Heeter 3 0-1 6, Sarah Lutz 1 1-2 4, Dani Fesenmyer 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Craft 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 7-11 43.

Karns City 6 19 13 17—55Cranberry 6 4 20 13—433-point goals: Karns City 5 (Kepple 4, Kerschbaumer); Cranberry 6 (Hatch 4, Lutz, Burneisen).