KARNS CITY — Karns City's girls basketball team doesn't exactly light up the scoreboard.

The Lady Gremlins are making their won-loss record shine rather brightly, however.

Sporting no seniors on the roster, Karns City recently put together a six-game winning streak. That run came to an end Saturday with a 32-19 home loss to undefeated Keystone.

Even that defeat created some encouragement.

“We learned from this game,” junior guard/forward Rossi McMillen said. “Keystone is one of the best in the district. We hung in there with them.

“If we play them again in the (District 9) tournament, we feel like we've got a shot at them.”

Karns City finished 7-15 last season. The year before that, the Lady Gremlins were 4-17.

Sitting at 8-2 through 10 games this year, KC is taking aim at the district playoffs.

“This is the first year we really believe that's there for us,” junior guard Alyson Fennell said. “We're ready.

“We've been playing basketball together since third grade. We know about the history here, the tradition ... we want to be part of it so bad.”

Karns City won four consecutive District 9 titles from 2014-17. The team reached the D-9 championship game again in 2018 before sputtering the last two years.

Fennell, McMillen and guard Emma Johns are all three-year starters. Fellow juniors Brooke Manuel, Abby Callihan and Julia Andreassi also play key roles on the team.

“Those juniors have taken ownership of this team,” Karns City coach Steve Andreassi said. “They want to bring girls basketball back to what people have come to expect at Karns City.”

And they're doing it their own way.

Karns City's last run of success was fueled by Emily Hegedus and her school-record 1,735 points. She is now playing for Clarion University.

Since 2000, the Lady Gremlins have produced seven 1,000-point scorers.

This year's team is averaging only 38 points per game. Johns is averaging 14 per contest. She's missed double figures in only two games — wins over Brockway and Leechburg.

Manuel netted 16 points in a 47-26 win over Brookville. Sophomore Rosie Carden came off the bench to score 12 in the team's season-opening loss to Moniteau.

“No one else has been in double figures,” Andreassi said. “But we've had girls chip in eight points, nine points ... We've been scoring enough. Defense is the staple of this team.”

KC is allowing only 33 points per game. It's held three opponents to 26 points or less.

“Shots aren't always going to fall,” Johns said. “But defense shows up every night.”

She can recall going to Karns City girls basketball's district tournament games at Clarion University.

“LeeAnn Gibson, Shanel Preston, those players were my idols when I was a kid,” Johns said. “I remember watching them play at Clarion, big crowds, so much intensity.

“It's hard to believe I may be experiencing that soon myself.”

McMillen agreed.

“Watching LeeAnn and Emily Schumacher play, I pattern my style of play after theirs,” McMillen said. “They were all over the floor.”

That style of play isn't lost on KC's opponents. Keystone coach Josh Almes has certainly noticed it.

The Panthers entered Saturday's game at Karns City averaging 50 points per game. With three minutes left to play against KC, they had 24.

“That team is so hard to play against,” Almes said. “They clog the passing lanes, give you nowhere to go. Their hands are always in your faces.

“They disrupt everything you try to do through sheer effort.”

That effort isn't going away anytime soon.

“It's our time,” Fennell said. “That's what we believe.”