KARNS CITY — Trailing 21-4 and coming off a game 48 hours earlier in which his team was shut out in the first half, Steve Andreassi bellowed to his Karns City girls basketball team during an early second quarter timeout.

“Pride!” he exclaimed. “Show some pride!”

The Gremlins showed him much more.

Karns City chipped away at the Union lead, trimming the deficit to 24-20 at the half.

When Emma Johns hit a running jumper with 3:05 remaining in the game, the Gremlins seized the lead for good and hung on for a 46-43 home victory.

“We talked about our effort coming into the game based on our last two games,” Andreassi said. “We had poor effort. We started with poor effort the last game (when the Gremlins were blanked 13-0 in the first half against Ridgway). Sure enough, we come out flat, but they were resilient enough to pick it up and forget about what just happened.”

Foul trouble dogged Union after the fast start.

Dominika Logue picked up three quick ones, forcing her to the bench less than two minutes into the second quarter.

Maggie Minick also picked up three fouls in the first half and had to sit.

Then Union guard Hailey Kriebel left with an injury, leaving the Damsels dangerously thin.

Karns City (4-6) took advantage and entered the half with momentum.

“We had the same thing happen to us Monday night against A-C Valley (a loss),” said Union coach Ally Kepple. “There's a lot of different things you can say about that. But when we were given those situations, we never gave up. We played through it and gave it our best and I told them that was what I was most proud of.”

Logue finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists despite barely playing two quarters.

She picked up her fourth foul with one second remaining in the third quarter and fouled out with a little more than five minutes left in the game with Union leading 37-32.

Minick and Kriebel, who returned in the second half, also fouled out.

Union (6-4) was already thin after two bench players were injured during the junior varsity game.

“I look at the bench and we have three players fouled out,” Kepple said. “It was huge.”

The game plan for Karns City was to attack the rim in the hopes of getting Union in foul trouble.

Especially Logue.

“We talked about it before the game. We talked about it at halftime. We talked about it during time outs,” Andreassi said. “Go right at (Logue) and hope you get lucky and we did. They obviously didn't like the calls and honestly I wouldn't either if I was them.”

Two players named Emma came up big for Karns City in the second half.

Sophomore Emma Johns scored seven of her team-leading 14 points in the fourth quarter and freshman Emma Dailey scored eight of her 10 points in the third quarter.

Dailey was also given the task of following Logue wherever she went.

“Before the game, coach came into the locker room and said, 'Emma, if I put you in you have to do your job,'” Dailey said. “I knew I had to do my job if to help us win this game and for my team. I feel like I did that tonight.

“This win tonight was definitely a team effort,” Dailey added. “I'm so proud of this team. We've definitely had bumps in the road, but we've gotten over them and we really needed this win tonight.”

The game had a feel of the old Union-Karns City matchups when both programs were at the top of their games.

The days when Kepple was on the floor for Karns City.

Both teams are young — Karns City had four sophomores and a freshman on the floor at times and Union started four sophomores and a freshman.

“Stevie A said that we're going to do this for the next four years,” Kepple said. “I honestly think (the rivalry is back).”

UNION 43

Maggie Minick 2-8 2-4 6, Kennedy Vogle 2-5 0-0 5, Keira Coyle 2-4 2-4 6, Hailey Kriebel 3-11 4-8 10, Dominika Logue 5-11 4-6 16, Kiera Zitzman 0-0 0-3 0, Tori Milliron 0-2 0-0 0, Abby Gruver 0-1 0-0 0, Hailey Theuret 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 14-42 12-25 43.

KARNS CITY 46

Rossi McMillan 2-8 1-3 5, Alyson Fennell 0-5 0-4 0, Peyton Turner 0-1 0-2 0 Emma Johns 6-9 2-6 14, Emily Huff 2-3 2-4 6, Emma Dailey 4-9 2-4 10, Rosie Carden 0-1 0-0 0, Abby Callihan 0-3 0-0 0, Brittney Friters 0-0 0-0 0, Brooke Manuel 2-8 7-8 11. Totals: 16-47 14-31 46.

Union 19 5 12 7 — 43

Karns City4 16 12 14 — 46

3-point goals: Union 3 (Vogle, Logue 2); Karns City none

Friday: Karns City at North Clarion; Keystone at Union