Survival at stake for CHS girls today

Pesky sophomore guard Kayla Bohn played a spirited game Saturday.

Survival is at stake for the Coudersport High School girls' basketball team when it takes the court Saturday afternoon at St. Marys Public. The Falcons (25-2) meet Eisenhower in the first round of the state playoffs, with a 3:00 tipoff.

Saturday's winner progresses into the next round of playoffs on Wednesday, joining 15 other survivors from across the state. The opponent will be either Northern Bedford or Avonworth.

Beating Eisenhower (20-6) will be a tall order -- literally - - for Coach Brian Green's girls. They will be without the services of their leading rebounder and second-leading scorer, Jessica Wilson. The junior all-star is out due to injuries.

Eisenhower's Golden Knights are headed by Elisha Jones, a tall and talented allaround athlete who's on her way to play multiple sports at Waynesburg College.

Union (26-3) used an 18-0 run that started in the second quarter on its way to a 67-55 win over Coudersport Saturday afternoon at Clarion in the District 9 championship game. The Damsels have now won three straight D9 titles.

Junior Jessica Wilson (22) goes hard to the basket during Saturday's District 9 championship game at Clarion University. She'll be out with an injury when the Falcons take on Eisenhower Saturday. Paul Burdick photo

Alicia Anthony sank a pair of three-pointers to help Union overcome an early 7-0 deficit and tie the game 16-16 at the end of the first quarter. Anthony would add two more long shots later, finishing 4-for-4 from outside the arc.

A 10-0 run to start the second half gave Union a 40-22 lead. Coudersport trimmed the gap to 10 on two occasions, but could get no closer.

Coudersport was plagued with cold shooting, especially at the foul line. By the time the Falcons' free throws found the mark, the Damsels were out of reach.

"The key was the shooting -- they made their shots and we didn't," said Coudersport coach Brian Green. "But I don't want to take anything away from Union. They have an excellent program."

Senior Hope Morris made a trio of three-pointers on her way to a team-high 18 points. Junior Kristy Kamper scored 17 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Wilson played through a leg injury to score 12 points and hold her own in the frontcourt.

Coach Brian Green and assistant Cheryl Morey complimented Union on a strong performance after Saturday's loss in the D9 championship game at Waldo Tippin Gymnasium, Clarion. Paul Burdick photo

All about the numbers…

Union (67): Tiffany Corle 6 6-9 18, Anthony 4 0-0 12, Janele Divins 3 4-6 11, Mackenzie Shirey 1 4-6 6, Meagan Booth 1 0-2 2, Heather Booth 0 0-0 0, Torri Smith 2 0-0 4, Corri Seybert 1 0-0 2, Denyelle Painter 6 0-2 12. Totals 24 14-25 67.

Coudersport (55): Morris 5 5-10 18, Kamper 6 5-7 17, Wilson 5 2-7 12, Karli Duffee 1 3-5 6, Kelly McVay 1 0-0 2, Maureen McCusker 0 0-0 0, Allison Giannotti 0 0-0 0, Kayla Bohn 0 0-1 0, Emily Giannotti 0 0-0 0, Jordan Bright 0 0-0 0, Stephanie Kelley 0 0-0 0, Tigan Chiumento 0 0-0 0, Katelyn Karpinski 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 14-30 55.