DUBOIS - An ominous sign stared down Moniteau’s girls basketball team early in Monday’s District 9 Class 3A semifinal against Punxsutawney.

The Chucks, the 7-time defending district champions, made just one of their first seven attempts from the field and scored just four points in the first four and a half minutes of the game.

“We didn’t capitalize,” said Moniteau coach Dee Arblaster, whose team ended up falling behind 9-0 later in the period. “We really hadn’t played well in the last three games (of the regular season).”

The Warriors never recovered Monday and saw their season come to an end with a 53-24 loss at DuBois Area High School.

A field goal from Kendall Sankey and a pair of free throws from both Davina Pry and Victoria Pry made it 9-6 late in the first period. But that’s when the Chucks got rolling, using the final 8-plus minutes of the first half to bury the Warriors with a 21-4 run that put Punxsy up 30-10 at the break.

The Chucks (16-6) held Moniteau’s leading scorer, sophomore guard Catherine Kelly, to two points on 1-of-8 shooting. The first five attempts she had were either rushed or off-balance.

“They pressured her, they pressured all of us,” Arblaster said. “They played man-to-man and are very good.”

A number of attempts to get Kelly the ball resulted in turnovers and Moniteau’s offense slowed to a trickle - just 15 field goal attempts and 12 turnovers in the first half.

“We had (junior guard) Chloe Presloid on her and she’s been playing very good defense lately,” said Punxsy coach Mike Carlson. “But everybody is ready to chip in for us.

“The difference is intensity. We’re playing at a faster speed now than earlier in the season. We were tentative and now we’re in attack mode.”

Presloid led all scorers with 14 points while Danielle Griebel added 10 for the Chucks.

Davina Pry scored nine to lead Moniteau (11-11).

This is the second straight year the Warriors’ season ended with a loss to the Chucks. Last year, it came in the district championship game.

The Chucks will face Redbank Valley for district supremacy Saturday at Clarion University.

“We have to get better, we have to get stronger,” said Arblaster. “You look at those old Karns City teams that won district titles, North Clarion, too ... you have to play good defense and compete every day.”

MONITEAU 24

Abbey Jewart 1 0-0 2, Catherine Kelly 1 0-0 2, Davina Pry 3 3-4 9, Kendall Sankey 2 1-8 5, Victoria Pry 2 2-2 6, Allie Pry 0 0-0 0, Sophia Fleeger 0 0-0 0. Totals: 9 6-14 24.

PUNXSUTAWNEY 53

Danielle Griebel 4 2-2 12, Chloe Presloid 6 1-2 14, Kierstin Riley 2 0-0 4, Maeve Hanley 3 0-0 6, Emily McMahan 1 0-0 2, Samantha Griebel 3 0-0 7, Avary Powell 4 0-0 8, Amy Poole 0 0-0 0, Olivia Burkett 0 0-0 0, Maddi Kriebel 0 0-0 0, Brynn Hicks 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 3-4 53.

Moniteau 6 4 8 6 - 24

Punxsutawney 11 19 14 9 - 53

3-point goals: Punxsutawney 4 (D.Griebel 2, Presloid, S.Griebel).