PIAA girls basketball playoffs: Karns City pulls away from Seton LaSalle in first-round win

March 06, 2026 Last Updated: March 06, 2026 10:33 PM Sports

Karns City players Hanna Dailey (13) and Naomi Venesky (1) celebrate after their win in a PIAA Class 3A girls basketball first-round game Friday, March 6, at Moniteau High School. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

CHERRY TWP — Karns City girls basketball’s defense was its usual, stingy self. But a little separation never hurts.

The Gremlins and Seton LaSalle were knotted at 17 midway through the third quarter of Friday’s PIAA Class 3A first-round playoff.

KC went on an 11-0 run and had little trouble closing out the Rebels in a 37-24 victory at Moniteau High School.

“Naomi (Venesky, KC’s top scorer this season) had picked up a few fouls, had spent some time on the bench and was playing tentatively,” Gremlins coach Steve Andreassi said. “We talked about other girls stepping up.”

For the second straight year, the Gremlins (25-2) will face Central Cambria in the second round of the state playoffs. The Red Devils crushed Our Lady of Sacred Heart 54-27 in the first round. They will meet KC Tuesday at a site and time to be determined.

Karns City’s run that did in Seton LaSalle was fueled by three players.

It began with Hannah Summerville’s two free throws with 4:20 left in the third. Then she, Hanna Dailey and Alivia Farren each hit a trey for a 28-17 lead.

Karns City guard Naomi Venesky (1) shoots a 3-pointer in a PIAA Class 3A girls basketball first-round game Friday, March 6, at Moniteau High School. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

With each made shot during the run, the gym, normally viewed as enemy territory by the Gremlins, erupted thanks to a frenzied KC crowd.

“It was insane,” Summerville said. “The energy in this place was crazy.”

Facing a KC defense that has not allowed 30 points to any opponent in four straight games, the Rebels (16-11) were in deep trouble. They cut their deficit to eight points twice in the fourth period on free throws from Kayla Deasy and a basket from Ava Maroney, respectively, but the climb was simply too steep.

“We knew they like to shoot a lot of 3s,” Andreassi said. “Drive and kick, that’s their style. I thought we did well against it tonight.”

Maroney, who drained four treys in the game, scored 17 points to lead all scorers. Deasy was the only other Seton LaSalle player to score in the game.

“What I was most impressed with was their commitment to defense,” Rebels coach Joe Michalski said of the Gremlins. “They’re a very active group. To see a team work that hard on that end of the floor, in this day and age, I have a lot of respect for that.”

Nineteen turnovers had a hand in Seton LaSalle scoring less than half of its 55-point average per game this season.

“We watch a lot of film, and try to take away what a team does best,” Summerville said. “We have the same confidence now that we did all season.”

Venesky led the Gremlins with 10 points, eight coming in the first half.

SETON LASALLE 24

Kayla Deasy 2 3-4 7, Ava Maroney 6 1-2 17, Addy Dears 0 0-4 0, Casey Davis 0 0-0 0, Natalie Pascarella 0 0-0 0, Eva Dominick 0 0-0 0, Julia Piagessi 0 0-0 0. Totals: 8 4-10 24.

KARNS CITY 37

Naomi Venesky 5 0-0 10, Hannah Summerville 2 4-4 9, Alivia Farren 2 0-0 5, Hanna Dailey 3 0-4 9, Taylor Ritzert 0 4-6 4, Maddy Mahood 0 0-0 0, Audrey Heginbotham 0 0-0 0. Totals: 12 8-14 37.

Seton LaSalle 4 7 8 5 — 24

Karns City 5 10 13 9 — 37

3-point goals: Seton LaSalle 4 (Maroney 4); Karns City 5 (Dailey 3, Farren, Summerville).

Tuesday: Karns City vs. Central Cambria, PIAA Class 3A second-round playoff, TBD