PIAA basketball: Karns City girls’ ‘great season’ ends in second round vs Central Cambria after cold stretch
PLUM — Karns City’s effort during the first quarter of Tuesday night’s PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round playoff game wasn’t indicative of how the rest of the night would go.
The Gremlins got out to a quick start before a second-quarter lull put them behind for good in a 41-34 loss to District 6’s Central Cambria.
The Gremlins (25-3) shot 5 for 7 in the initial frame, which they owned a 15-11 advantage after. Sophomore Alivia Farren knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the frame, including one with a second to go.
Karns City hit on just one shot during the final 5:30 of the second quarter, allowing the Red Devils (22-6) to go on an 11-2 surge that started with Alaina Long’s trey with 4:29 left before halftime.
“It was our energy, really, I think,” Gremlins senior Naomi Venesky said. “We dropped down when we made those good shots in the first half. It was like, ‘OK, yeah, we got this.’ And we came out (from halftime), we were very slow.”
“I thought the biggest key was the last two minutes of the second quarter,” Karns City coach Steve Andreassi said. “We were up. … Next thing you know, it’s 25-21. That 6-0 run, it’s a momentum killer. And you hear some of these coaches say, ‘What’s the most important minutes of a basketball game?’
“It’s the last two minutes of the first half and it’s the first two minutes of the second half.”
Karns City went 0 for 6 from beyond the arc in the eight minutes before the midway point.
Central Cambria climbed ahead by as many as nine points before KC’s Hannah Summerville ended the run. Over three minutes later, another Farren trey put Andreassi’s team within three.
Had Venesky not been called for a charge on a coast-to-coast layup, the Gremlins would’ve pulled within two shortly before the fourth frame began.
Delaney Snyder and Long widened their side’s lead to eight with 5:07 remaining, a deficit that was too tall for Karns City to overcome.
“These girls exceeded all expectations this year,” Andreassi said. “So once they get the tears out of their eyes, we’re walking out with our heads eye.”
“It’s tough because we lost, but we had a great season,” said Venesky, a senior. “This was a very good season to end on … and I can’t wait to come back and watch them play next year.”
Central Cambria advances to face Shady Side Academy in the state quarterfinals Friday at a site and time to be determined.
KARNS CITY 34
Naomi Venesky 2 4-6 8, Hannah Summerville 3 1-2 7, Alivia Farren 4 0-0 12, Hanna Dailey 0 0-0 0, Taylor Ritzert 1 3-4 5, Madison Mahood 1 0-0 2. Totals: 11 8-12 34
CENTRAL CAMBRIA 41
Paige Alexander 1 2-2 4, Gianna Grimaldi 5 0-0 10, Rowyn Ruddek 0 0-0 0, Katie George 2 3-4 8, Alaina Long 2 4-4 9, Delaney Snyder 2 1-4 5, Makenzie Hite 1 1-1 3, Bella Templeton 1 0-0 2. Totals: 14 11-15 41.
Karns City 15 6 6 7 — 34
Central Cambria 11 14 6 10 — 41
3-point goals: Karns City 4 (Farren 4); Central Cambria 2 (George, Long).
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Karns City’s Naomi Venesky (1) becomes emotional after losing to Central Cambria in a PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at Plum High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s Naomi Venesky (1) shoots the ball against to Central Cambria in a PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at Plum High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s Taylor Ritzert (21) shoots a jump shot against Central Cambria in a PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at Plum High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
