BROOKVILLE — A scoreless quarter in a district playoff game is very difficult to overcome.

Karns City almost pulled it off Tuesday night.

After being held scoreless in the second quarter of a District 9 Class 2A boys basketball semifinal against Ridgway, the Gremlins trailed 17-7 at halftime.

Led by Micah Rupp and Luke Cramer, KC slowly gained momentum and when the former scored a basket with 6:25 left in the game, Ridgway’s lead had been trimmed to 28-26.

But Elkers’ guard Aaron Sorg, who scored a team-high 16 points in the game, tallied 10 of them in the final six minutes and Ridgway escaped Brookville High School with a 45-37 win.

Sorg’s effort late in the game included four field goals and a pair of free throws.

“With the pressure they (Gremlins) were running up top, Aaron’s gonna be the open guy, but he has to hit the shots and he did tonight,” said Ridgway coach Anthony Allegretto.

Rupp paced KC’s rally, scoring 12 of his team-high 16 points in the second half. His trey with 30 seconds left brought the Gremlins to within 43-37. Moments later, his attempt from beyond the arc was off and the Elkers rebounded with 15 seconds remaining before Domenic Allegretto iced the game with two free throws.

Despite his team’s strong effort in the second half, KC coach Zach Kepple was focused on missed opportunities early on.

The Gremlins (18-7) attempted just nine shots combined in the first two quarters while committing 11 turnovers.

“There were so many turnovers, we couldn’t even get in our offensive sets,” he said. “We just didn’t take care of the ball and that was the difference in the game.”

Frustration was not exclusive to the Gremlins, however.

“We should’ve been up by 15 points or so at halftime,” said Anthony Allegretto. “We didn’t score enough.”

Two sequences best exemplified the first half woes for the Gremlins.

Early in the second quarter, Rupp blocked a Ridgway shot, gained control of the ball and looked to be headed for a layup at the other end, but was whistled for a charge.

Three offensive rebounds allowed the Elkers (19-5) to keep possession for the final 2:30 of the first half.

“Ridgway played Ridgway basketball,” Kepple said. “They take care of the ball, are very slow and methodical on offense.”

The Gremlins’ season is not over. They will face Keystone, which lost to Redbank Valley in Tuesday’s other semifinal, in a consolation game to determine the district’s third and final team to qualify for the state playoffs.

KARNS CITY 37

Cole Sherwin 1 0-0 3, Taite Beighley 2 4-6 9, Luke Cramer 3 0-0 7, Micah Rupp 7 1-2 16, Luke Garing 1 0-0 2, Jacob Callihan 0 0-0 0. Totals: 14 5-8 37.

RIDGWAY 45

Domenic Allegretto 6 2-4 15, Aaron Sorg 6 3-5 16, Erik Panebianco 1 0-0 2, Dan Park 4 1-5 10, Jack Benninger 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 6-14 45.

Karns City 7 0 17 13 - 37

Ridgway 11 6 11 17 - 45

3-point goals: Karns City 4 (Sherwin, Beighley, Cramer, Rupp); Ridgway 3 (Allegretto, Sorg, Park).

Next: Karns City vs. Keystone, District 9 Class 2A consolation, TBD