CLARION — Like every other team she played against, Redbank Valley senior guard Brooke Hinderliter found ways to score against Moniteau.

But for the third time this season, it wasn’t enough to defeat the Warriors.

Hinderliter tallied a game-high 23 points in Tuesday’s District 9 Class AA girls basketball semifinal at Clarion High School, but Moniteau advanced with a 40-33 victory.

“We tried to limit what she could do, but didn’t do a good job of it,” said Moniteau coach Dee Arblaster. “We just didn’t play very well tonight.”

The Warriors will face rival Karns City in Saturday’s District 9 Class AA title game at Clarion University.

In two regular-season contests against the Warriors, Hinderliter scored a combined 50 points. Moniteau prevailed 53-46 Jan. 18 and 62-56 Feb. 5.

“She’s a great player,” said Moniteau junior guard Alazia Greaves, who had the task of guarding Hinderliter Tuesday night. “No matter who is guarding her, she doesn’t care. She takes it to the hole.”

Hinderliter bucketed six straight points to put the Bulldogs up 30-25 with 5:24 left to play.

“I called a timeout and chewed them out,” Arblaster said.

It worked.

The Warriors (16-7) closed the game on a 15-3 run, ending Redbank’s season and Hinderliter’s stellar scholastic career.

“The fact that she ended three points short of 2,000 and without winning a title, I’m very disappointed for her,” said Bulldogs’ coach Amy Twigg. “She has meant a ton to this program.”

Emma Bair’s two-pointer with 3:17 remaining put Moniteau up for good at 32-31.

Redbank pulled to within 36-33 when Sam Landers sank a basket with 2:27 left, but the Bulldogs would not score again.

Moniteau junior Kristina DeMatteis scored eight of her team-high 11 points in the fourth period, including the final four points of the game.

But as Greaves explained, taking and maintaining a lead began with solid play at the other end of the floor.

“We played tight defense down the stretch,” she said. “We talked about pressuring them and that’s what we did.”

So much pressure that the Bulldogs (15-8) got off just five field goal attempts in the final eight minutes.

Hinderliter missed several key free throws in the second half. She went 0-for-3 in the third quarter and ended the game making just 3-of-9.

“That’s very unlike Brooke,” Twigg said. “She is used to making a high percentage of her attempts from the line.”

Bair added 10 points in the win.

Moniteau will hope the third time is the charm against Karns City. The Gremlins defeated the Warriors twice in the regular season, 46-31 and 43-38.

“The second time we played them, we were playing well (held a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter),” said Greaves, “but we let them get in our heads. We can’t let that happen this time.”

REDBANK VALLEY 33

Lexi Holt 1 0-0 2, Becca Dougherty 3 0-0 6, Brooke Hinderliter 10 3-9 23, Sam Landers 1 0-1 2, Kera Fink 0 0-0 0, Macy King 0 0-0 0, Alyssa Wiant 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 3-10 33.

MONITEAU 40

Kara Mentel 1 0-0 2, Kristina DeMatteis 5 1-4 11, Alazia Greaves 3 0-0 8, Kennedy DeMatteis 1 0-0 2, Emma Bair 5 0-0 10, Sara Hull 2 3-6 7, Kelsey Ripley 0 0-0 0, Cambrie Campbell 0 0-0 0. Totals: 17 4-10 40.

Redbank Valley 4 10 10 9 — 33

Moniteau7 5 11 17 — 40

3-point goals: Moniteau 2 (Greaves 2).

Saturday: Karns City vs. Moniteau, District 9 Class AA Championship Game at Clarion University, time TBD