CLARION — After taking just a five-point lead into halftime, Elk County Catholic quickly made sure to dispel any notions of a Class A title game upset out of the intermission.

Using a huge third quarter run during which ECC hit three shots from deep, the first-seeded Crusaders pulled away from No. 3 Cameron County for a 53-36 win in the District 9 Class A Championship at Clarion University’s Tippin Gymnasium Saturday night.

The win lifts ECC (26-1) to its second consecutive district title, and marks the program’s fourth in five years. It also gives ECC head coach Aaron Straub his 21st D9 crown.

“The District 9 Single-A field was strong this year; it was the type of year that a lot of different teams had the ability to win, and we’re just really blessed and pleased to be back here at (Clarion) University playing,” Straub said. “You hear the kids talk, and this is a place they want to be and want to play for championships… I hope our kids never underappreciate the effort that goes into winning a district championship.”

Elk Catholic had led the Red Raiders 21-16 at the intermission before a 13-3 run in the third period allowed the Crusaders to pull away from their foes from Emporium.

During that spurt, ECC hit three shots from downtown — one each from Mark Kraus, Will Uberti and Carter Lindemuth — and also picked up six points from Regis Wortman in the quarter. All told, the Crusaders outpaced Cameron County 19-9 in the third.

“They started making shots,” Cameron County (20-5) head coach Mark Guido said. “The gameplan was to sit in that (2-3) zone and force them to be shooters and limit them to one-and-done (possessions). They hit those three (3-pointers) and that really made a difference.”

That 2-3 zone — with 6-foot-5 center Gavin Morton in the middle to block and alter shots — had kept the Crusaders to a 9-for-19 performance from the field in the first half.

But turnovers proved to be the Red Raiders’ undoing. Cameron County, which was playing in its first D9 championship game since 2015, was held to just 11 field goal attempts in the first two quarters thanks to nine first-half turnovers.

“(Elk Catholic) is very physical, very aggressive and they get in passing lanes,” Guido said. “Defensively, they don’t make mistakes. You have to earn every basket, and I don’t think we did a good job of matching physicality tonight. I talked to the guys about playoff basketball and the physicality of such, and outside of maybe (point guard) Dino (Brown), I don’t think we really matched that physicality.”

Brown was the only Red Raider to score in double figures on the night. The senior poured in a game-high 19 points, including 10 of Cameron County’s 15 first-half points.

Meanwhile, teammates Caden Beldin and Hayden Brown were held to four and zero points in the game, respectively, after each had scored in double figures in Cameron County’s 47-46 semifinals win over Clarion-Limestone.

In the second half, the Red Raiders committed just four turnovers but were still restricted to just 14 shots from the floor. Meanwhile, ECC shot 22 field goal attempts in the second half, and sank 13 of them. That hot Crusader stretch included a 4-for-7 performance from downtown.

“I thought Cameron County had a good plan. They certainly have really good athletes, and Dino Brown is one of the best players in the district,” Straub said. “He got to the basket on us, and they had a good plan. Fortunately, we were able to make a run in the second half.”

Kraus led the Crusaders with 15 points on the night, while Wortman added 12 and Mason McAllister added eight points, six of which came in the fourth quarter.

Each team earned a bid to the PIAA Class A tournament. The Crusaders face Imani Christian Academy, the sixth-place team out of the WPIAL (District 7). That game is set for 8 o’clock Friday night back at Tippin Gymnasium.

The Red Raiders, meanwhile, face District 6 runner-up Williamsburg at 6 p.m. Friday at St. Marys Area High School. Guido is confident his team will be ready to get back on track.

“I think these guys have been resilient all year,” he said. “We’ll get back to work real hard on Monday and Tuesday, and then Wednesday we have a scrimmage set up with a friend of ours, and we’ll go do that. We’ll get a scout on (Williamsburg), and we’ll be ready.”

AT CLARION

Cameron County (36)

Dino Brown 7 5-7 19, Guisto 2 3-3 8, Beldin 2 0-0 4, Morton 2 0-0 5. Totals: 13 8-10 36

Elk Catholic (53)

Mark Kraus 6 0-2 15, Regis Wortman 5 2-2 12, I. Wortman 2 0-0 4, Lindemuth 1 0-0 3, Uberti 3 0-0 8, McAllister 4 0-2 8, Gregory 1 1-2 3. Totals: 22 3-8 53

Cameron Co. 8 15 24 36

Elk Catholic 11 21 40 53

Three-point goals: Cameron Co. 2 (Guisto 1, Morton 1), ECC 6 (Kraus 3, Uberti 2, Lindemuth 1); Total fouls: Cameron Co. 10 , ECC 11; fouled out: none.