DuBois—-For the second straight year the Lady Crusaders of Elk County Catholic (ECC) knocked off the Lady Tide of Curwensville for the Allegheny Mountain League (AML) Championship. This year’s title game was played at the DuBois Middle School.
ECC had one of the most balanced scoring attacks of any squad anywhere this season, as 10 players put points on the scoreboard for coach Ken Pistner’s team. Just one Lady Crusader had double figures. Kaitlyn Geci had 10 to lead Elk County Catholic, whose record is now 19-5 heading into next weeks District 9 playoffs.
Once again, it was the second quarter that doomed Curwensville for the third straight game against the Crusaders. In last year’s AML title game Elk County outscored the Lady Tide in the second frame 24-9. In the second game of the season this year ECC topped Curwensville 21-8 in quarter number two. Last night, same results, as the Lady Crusaders won the battle of the second quarter 17-6.
After just being down 12-10 at the end of the first period the Lady Tide were staying right with the defending AML champs 18-16 with about four minutes left in the half. Then someone turned on the ugly switch against coach Vic Gearhart and his Tide. Turnover after turnover and missed shot after missed shot by the Lady Tide put the Lady Crusaders in cruise control as they went on a 18-0 run that carried into the third period. At the half Elk County Catholic was up 29-16.
Curwensville did cut the lead to twelve in the second half at one point, but that was it, as Elk County did a great job of ball control to eat up time and wait patiently for a high percentage shot. The fact that Curwensville gave ECC many second and third opportunities when the Lady Crusaders had the ball certainly didn’t help the Lady Tide.
On the night the ECC girls hit six three pointers. The Curwensville ladies didn’t hit one three pointer. Very telling for a team that has done well from behind the arc all season long.
Curwensville was lead by it’s two senior high scorers as Dani Struble had 16 and Jackie White 11. All of White’s points came in the second half as Curwensville struggled to get back in the game.
Elk County Catholic opens District 9 Class A play at home Tuesday night against Johnsonburg. The Lady Tide are in the District 9 Class AA tournament playing Moniteau, also on Tuesday night, at home at Patton Hall. Tip off is set for 7pm. Should Curwensville win it’s first round game they would face the winner of Cranberry and Redbank Valley Thursday at a site and time to be determined.
NOTE:
The District 9 Class AA teams and their seeds are as follows: Karns City (1), Curwensville (2), Redbank Valley (3), Kane (4), Brookville (5), Cranberry (6) and Moniteau (7).
