Moniteau girls reach D-9 final
BROCKWAY — The fourth quarter got a bit more interesting than Moniteau had hoped, but the Warriors accomplished their objective Wednesday night.
They built a double-digit lead in the first half before withstanding a Coudersport rally in a 51-41 victory in a District 9 Class 2A girls basketball semifinal playoff game at Brockway High School.
“We had a height advantage on Moniteau, but we weren’t able to use it like we had hoped,” said Coudersport coach Joe Bunnell. “We had trouble with entry passes and I attribute that to the play of Moniteau’s guards.”
It had been 15 days since Moniteau last played, but the Warriors showed no rust early on against Coudersport, leading 18-7 after one quarter.
Catherine Kelly scored 10 points in the opening period while teammates Sophia Fleeger and Allie Pry added to the onslaught with 3-pointers.
“We came out strong and that was crucial for us,” said Moniteau coach Dee Arblaster.
The Warriors extended their edge to 31-17 by halftime, but the Falcons made their move in the fourth quarter.
Down 38-26 entering the period, they reeled off an 11-1 run that cut their deficit to two points at 39-37 with 5:24 left.
Hallie Rigas, Savannah Myers and Sierra Myers each drained a 3-pointer during the rally.
“Some of it is on me,” said Arblaster. “We want the kids to be patient, but sometimes that leads to us getting out of sync. During a timeout, we told the team to get the ball to Catherine and she needed to drive and either shoot or kick.”
Kelly responded by going 6 for 6 from the free throw line down the stretch.
Abbey Jewart also hit a trey that pushed the lead to 44-37 with 4:12 left.
“We knew Coudersport was in foul trouble and just needed to take care of the ball,” said Kelly, who scored 31 points in the game. She has scored 99 points in Moniteau’s last three contests and is 26 points shy of breaking the program’s all-time scoring record currently held by Alyssa Deal.
Rigas scored 12 points to lead the Falcons (20-5), all on treys. Sierra Myers added 10 points.
Moniteau (18-5) will meet top-seeded Redbank Valley for the district title Saturday at Clarion University. The Bulldogs earned a 39-36 win over the Warriors in early January.
COUDERSPORT 41
Macie Popchak 2 1-4 5, Hallie Rigas 4 0-0 12, Savannah Myers 1 2-2 5, Olivia Fink 2 1-2 5, Sierra Myers 2 5-6 10, Laura Dunn 2 0-0 4, Emilee Ruter 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 9-14 41.
MONITEAU 51
Abbey Jewart 1 0-0 3, Catherine Kelly 9 11-14 31, Sophia Fleeger 2 0-0 5, Allie Pry 2 3-4 9, Cheyenne Curl 1 1-2 3, Emily Matz 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 15-20 51.
Coudersport 7 10 9 15 — 41
Moniteau 18 13 7 13 — 51
3-point goals: Coudersport 6 (Rigas 4, Sa.Myers, Si.Myers); Moniteau 6 (Pry 2, Kelly 2, Fleeger, Jewart).
Saturday: Moniteau vs. Redbank Valley, District 9 Class 2A championship game at Clarion University, 6 p.m.
