By Chris Rossetti, D9Sports.com
KNOX — Most Valuable Player Evan Brown of Clearfield scored 17 of his game-high 21 points in the first half to help the Red team to a 100-83 win over the White squad in the 17th annual Clarion County YMCA Sportsmanship 1 District 9 Boys All-Star Game at Keystone High School Saturday.
Brown and fellow Bison seniors Will Myers and Tommy Hazel combined to score 31 points to help the Red squad build a 61-46 halftime lead.
White, which trailed by as many as 20 late in the first half, closed to within six early in the second half before Red was able to pull away again.
Nick LaBrasca of DuBois helped White get back into the game, netting 14 of his team-high 18 points after halftime. He finished with a monster double-double, adding 16 rebounds.
But in the end, the Red team coached by Nate Glunt of Clearfield and Brian Furman of Coudersport had too much balance with five players in double digits.
Myers, who netted 11 points in the game’s first four minutes, added 16 points and eight rebounds, while Port Allegany’s Brandon McCaslin hit four 3-pointers on his way to 12 points, Ridgway’s Justin Kasmierski chipped in 12 points and five rebounds and Clarion-Limestone’s Dan Callen contributed 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Hazel contributed seven points.
Keystone’s Austin Ion added 11 points and five rebounds for the White team in his last game on his home court. Elk County Catholic’s Nate DaCanal, the District 9 Player of the Year, chipping in 10 points and six boards, Kane’s Andrew Bucheit had 12 points, including a pair of slam dunks, and six boards and ECC’s Gabe Kraus added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Tanner Wilson of Keystone won the Sportsmanship Award, scoring two points and grabbing four rebounds while deferring to others most of the game.
WHITE — 83
Nick LaBrasca (DuBois) 8 2-2 18, Lake Pry (Moniteau) 3 0-0 7, Austin Ion (Keystone) 5 0-0 11, Ian McElroy (Karns City) 2 0-0 6, Tanner Wilson (Keystone) 1 0-0 2, Garret Babcock (Oswayo Valley) 2 2-2 7, Gabe Kraus (Elk County Catholic) 4 0-0 10, Andrew Bucheit (Kane) 5 0-2 12, Nate DaCanal (Elk County Catholic) 4 0-0 10. Totals 34 4-6 83.
RED — 100
Brandon McCaslin (Port Allegany) 4 0-0 12, Evan Brown (Clearfield) 9 0-0 21, Aaron Wolfinger (Coudersport) 3 2-2 8, Jarrett Esposito (Brockway) 2 0-0 4, Tommy Hazel (Clearfield) 3 0-0 7, Devin Kelly (Punxsutawney) 4 0-0 8, Matt Marconi (St. Marys) 1 0-0 2, Will Myers (Clearfield) 6 0-0 16, Dan Callen 5 0-0 10, Justin Kasmierski 5 1-1 12. Totals 42 3-3 100.
Three-Point Field Goals – White 11 (McElroy 2, Kraus 2, Bucheit 2, DaCanal 2, Pry, Ion, Babcock). Red 13 (McCaslin 4, Myers 4, Brown 3, Hazel, Kasmierski).
Halftime score – Red 61, White 46