BROOKVILLE, Pa. (D9sports) — Brookville used a balanced effort to end North Clarion’s long regular-season and District 9 win streaks with a 47-37 win over the visiting She-Wolves in the championship game of the Brookville Tip-off Tournament.
(Marcy Schindler of Brookville dribbles with North Clarion’s Abby Gatesman guarding her. Schindler had seven points and 14 rebounds to help Brookville end North Clarion’s 31-game regular-season win streak. Photo by Jared Bakaysa of JB Graphics. See more of Bakaysa’s work here)
Morgan Johnson and Kira Powell each scored 10 points for the Lady Raiders, who handed North Clarion its first regular-season loss and first loss against a D9 opponent since a 65-64 loss to Jan. 20, 2017, at A-C Valley. The She-Wolves had won 31 in a row in the regular season and 36 in a row against District 9 teams.
Marcy Schindler added seven points and 14 rebounds for Brookville with Lexis Hatzinkolas chipping in nine points and Madison Johnson eight points.
Schindler talked about the victory.
Gabby Carll paced North Clarion with 12 points with Abby Gatesman adding eight points and 13 rebounds and Haley Sherman six points and 11 boards.
“I think the girls played hard tonight,” North Clarion head coach Terry Dreihaup said. “The basketball was about the size of a golf hole for us tonight. We just couldn’t put it through the hoop. Hats off to Brookville. They played really tight defense on us tonight. It was a real physical game.”
Brookville’s defense forced 29 turnovers, including 11 in the first quarter.
The Lady Raiders used that defense to score nine of their 15 first-quarter points off giveaways and led 15-5 at the end of eight minutes. Powell hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter to lead the way.
The lead grew to 12, 25-13, at halftime with four more Powell points leading the way.
North Clarion, though, made a run in the third quarter climbing within six, 30-24, following a 7-2 run that finished with a Gatesman 3-pointers followed by a Sherman basket off a Gatesman pass.
The She-Wolves then had a chance to cut the lead to three when Mackenzie Bauer got a good look from the left wing, but her long ball was just a bit strong.
“We always talk about one bucket at a time,” Dreihaup said. “When we had it to six, I thought if we could get one more, the momentum may change our way.”
But instead of the momentum going to North Clarion, Brookville was able to claim the next four points, all from Madison Johnson to push the lead back to 10, 34-24, and North Clarion never got closer than seven the rest of the way with the Lady Raiders pushing the lead to as many as 13, 44-31, with just under a minute and a half to play.
BROOKVILLE 47, NORTH CLARION 37
Score by Quarters
North Clarion 5 8 12 12 — 37
Brookville 15 11 9 13 — 47
North Clarion — 37
Mackenzie Bauer 1 4-6 6, Gabby Schmader 2 1-2 5, Gabby Carll 3 6-10 12, Hayley Sherman 1 4-8 6, Abby Gatesman 2 3-4 8, Cierah Manross 0 0-0 0. Totals 9 18-30 37.
BROOKVILLE — 47
Marcy Schindler 3 0-0 7, Kira Powell 3 2-3 10, Morgan Johnson 4 1-3 10, Lauren Hergert 1 0-1 2, Madison Johnson 1 6-8 8, Sophie Sharp 0 1-2 1, Lexis Hatzinikolas 4 1-2 9, Jillian Taylor 0 0-0 0, Jenna Grant 0 0-0 0, Brooke Ganoe 0 0-0 0, Mikayla Aikens 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 11-19 47.
3-pointers: North Clarion 1 (Gatesman). Brookville 4 (Powell 2, Morgan Johnson, Schindler).
