KARNS CITY — Fourth-quarter defense has been the key ingredient recently for the Karns City boys basketball team.

Throw in dash of Mike McConnell driving to the hoop, a smidgen of Cameron Turner on the boards and a heaping helping of Matt McConnell heaving 3-pointers, and it is a recipe for success that is leaving the Gremlins quite satisfied.

The concoction worked again for Karns City in a 55-39 win over Clarion Thursday night.

Clarion scored just three points in the final 10-plus minutes of the game and didn't hit a shot from the floor during that span.

"Tonight, we really got after it in the fourth quarter," said Karns City coach Steve Andreassi.

It's been a familiar fourth-quarter feast for Karns City (5-2, 5-1).

The Gremlins have allowed a mere five points in the fourth period in their last two games.

"I can't tell you how we are doing it," said Matt McConnell.

The Gremlins have needed every bit of the staunch D lately.

Matt McConnell scored 10 points in the first four minutes of the game to stake Karns City to a 14-2 lead.

ButClarion stormed back and took a brief lead late in the second quarter before Karns City regained the advantage for good.

Matt McConnell finished 8-of-12 shooting for a game-high 22 points. He also hit five 3-pointers.

"He's just a kid who has worked hard to make himself better shooting the ball," Andreassi said. "And he's not just a 3-point shooter. We saw him take the ball to the hole and pull up and hit a couple of jumpers from 10 to 12 feet."

Matt McConnell seems to have unlimited range, too. One of his 3-pointers might as well have been shot from Petrolia, but it swished through the net. Clarion was forced to come way out on him to defend him, and he made them pay with dribble-drive penetration.

"He's elevated his game," Andreassi said. "That's what is supposed to happen."

His twin brother, Mike McConnell, sparked the Gremlins in a much different way.

He didn't hit a field goal, but he went to the line 13 times, thanks to drawing fouls on aggressive drives.

Mike McConnell struggled from the line, however, as did the rest of his teammates. He made just seven of his free throws and the Gremlins hit only 15-of-33.

But 11 of those came in the final period, when Mike McConnell was 5-of-8 from the line.

"He seems to be able to make the free throws in crunch time," Andreassi said.

Turner was merely crunching the Bobcats inside.

Turner scored only five points while battling foul trouble, but he managed nine rebounds and nearly cut a divot into the hardwood floor diving for loose basketballs and falling hard while absorbing contact inside.

Turner must have thought he was playing football again. It wouldn't be a huge leap to make as it has been only three weeks since the Gremlins football team lost to Jeannette in the state playoffs.

Since then, Karns City has played seven basketball games and practiced only eight times.

Yet they sit at 5-1 in the league, which greatly pleased Andreassi.

"We're elated, because we weren't sure what would happen,"he said.

CLARION 39Cody Renninger 1-4 0-2 3, Ben Brady 1-6 1-2 3, Derrick Craig 2-6 0-0 6, Cody Zacherl 1-3 0-0 2, Drew Vandermeer 4-14 4-6 15, Sheldon Miles 2-2 2-4 6, Joe Rearick 0-0 1-2 1, Scott Larson 1-5 1-2 3.

Totals: 12-40 9-18 39

KARNS CITY 55Cory Terwilliger 3-4 0-0 7, Mike McConnell 0-4 7-13 7, Cameron Turner 1-4 3-6 5, Matt McConnell 8-12 1-2 22, Dan Everetts 3-6 1-4 7, Markus Lavan 2-4 3-8 7, BrandonCollier 0-0 0-0 0, Brad Fuhrer 0-0 0-0 0, Evan Olszak 0-2 0-0 0.

Totals: 17-36 15-33 55

Clarion 11 17 9 2—39Karns City 17 13 12 13—553-point goals: Renninger, Craig 2, Vandermeer 3; Matt McConnell 5, Terwilliger

JV: Karns City 39-29

Today: Punxsutawney at Karns City