RIMERSBURG — Defense has been the key for the A-C Valley girls basketball team this season.

It was a key again Tuesday night against Keystone as the Falcons held the Panthers in check on the way to a 38-27 win in the District 9 2A semifinals at Union High School.

“We’ve been doing that a lot lately,” said A-C Valley coach Dave Sherman of his stifling defense. “We stayed in man-to-man most of the game with a couple of traps thrown in. Man-to-man is our bread-and-butter. All the games we’ve won this year we’ve held the other team to 40 or less.”

And A-C Valley did that again.

The Falcons were able to keep Keystone 6-footer Trinity Thompson contained, holding her to just two points.

Keystone also played well defensively, but A-C Valley was able to break the game open with a 16-2 advantage in the third quarter.

Kylee Eaton scored 14 points and Cami McNany added 12 to lead A-C Valley, which will play No. 1 seed Kane in the district championship game Thursday at Brookville.

A time for that game has not been announced.

Last year in Class A, the Falcons fell to North Clarion in the district final.

“I don’t want another runner-up,” Sherman said. “I got a silver medal last year, and I didn’t like that very much.”

KEYSTONE 27

Emily Lauer 5 2-2 12, Maddie Dunlap 1 0-0 2, Mackenzie Hovis 2 1-2 5, Danae Hurrelbrink 2 0-0 4, Trinity Thompson 1 0-0 2, Jozee Weaver 1 0-0 2, Jenna Siller 0 0-0 0, Ceayre Altman 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 3-4 27.

A-C VALLEY 38

Cami McNany 4 4-7 12, Olivia Boocks 1 0-0 3, Kylee Eaton 5 4-8 14, Rachel Cullen 1 1-2 4, Andrea Meals 1 1-7 3, Emily Etzel 1 0-2 2. Totals: 13 10-26 38.

Keystone 10 7 2 8 — 27

A-C Valley9 9 16 4 — 38

3-point goals: A-C Valley 2 (Boocks, Cullen)

Thursday: A-C Valley vs. Kane in District 9 2A championship game at Brookville, time to be determined