BROCKWAY — The District 9 hierarchy got the matchup they were looking for in the Class A girls’ final as top-seeded Clarion defeated Johnsonburg 58-48 in one half of the bracket at Brockway High School on Wednesday.
The 22-3 Lady Bobcats will now seek their first A crown since 1992 when they face No. 2 Port Allegany (55-48 winners over Keystone) on Saturday.
“That’s why Clarion is the No. 1 seed and we were No. 5,” said Mike Zilkofski, the Ramettes’ seventh-year (87-77) head coach. “They (Lady Bobcats) played to the situations and we didn’t react to them.”
This semifinal had more runs than cheap hosiery, but the coup de grace for J-burg was Clarion’s 13-0 spurt that spanned the third and fourth periods.
“I had to take Brittany (Watts) out in the third quarter with her third foul,” Zilkofski recalled. “Then we missed some layups and Clarion made a big run.”
The Ramettes (17-7) opened with a 3-0 lead on a free throw by Kathryn Polaski and two more from Chelsea Benson, but Clarion answered with an 8-0 succession on buckets by four of its five starters.
It was Johnsonburg’s turn to string some points together as Rhianon Fowler drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner and then the 5-8 senior registered an old fashion 3-point play for a 9-8 lead. A couple of steals by Kassa Kocjancic and Fowler then led to a layup by Watts and a foul shot from Polaski for a 12-8 margin after one.
“I told them to play an aggressive 2-3 zone and whomever has the ball to get out on them,” Zilkofski stated. “I also told them to keep their hands up and they played aggressively in the first quarter.”
The second stanza had seen six lead changes and four ties when Ashley Hummell’s triple from the left wing gave Clarion an irreversible 23-22 advantage with 1:57 left in the half.
The Lady Bobcats were working on a 9-0 run when Fowler’s traditional 3-point play cut the J-burg deficit to 29-25 at the intermission.
“We missed some layups and then we had to get back,” Zilkofski noted. “They (Lady Bobcats) pushed it up the floor and got some points in transition.”
Polaski’s trey with 7:04 left in the third quarter whittled the disparity to 31-28, but Clarion extended the margin to 38-30 on a bomb from Hummell at the 4:07 juncture.
After two successes from the charity stripe by Polaski had pulled the Ramettes within 38-37 with 1:59 showing, Clarion ran off 13 consecutive points for its biggest lead of the evening at 51-37 with 6:50 remaining.
Twice Johnsonburg reduced the deficit to single digits, but Polaski was already sidelined with an injury, and then Fowler fouled out with 1:12 left and two seconds later Watts was history with her fifth personal.
“The one we lost to injury really hurt because she (Polaski) is our 3-point threat,” Zilkofski admitted. “Then they had to foul in the fourth quarter and they (Fowler and Watts) just happened to get their fouls.”
Hummell had 20 points and Kyla Miles added 18 points for Clarion, while Benson led J-burg with 13 points and Fowler contributed 11 points.
Despite the setback the Ramettes are still guaranteed two more outings with the consolation game versus Keystone (Friday or Saturday) and then a PIAA berth on March 9. Johnsonburg will draw the WPIAL champion with a win or the top-seeded District 6 entrant with a loss.
JOHNSONBURG (48)
Rhianon Fowler 4-2-2-11, Chelsea Benson 4-5-7-13, Kocjancic 3-0-1-6, Watts 4-1-4-9, Polaski 2-4-5-9, Totals 17-12-19-48
CLARION (58)
M. Kroh 1-0-2-2, Kyla Miles 9-0-2-18, Ashley Hummell 8-1-2-20, Thornton 4-1-2-9, G. Kroh 0-3-4-3, Wolf 3-0-0-6, Totals 25-5-12-58
By Quarters
Johnsonburg 12 13 12 11 — 48
Clarion 8 21 18 11 — 58
Three-pointer FGs: Johnsonburg — Fowler 1, Polaski 1; Clarion — Hummell 3
