PIAA basketball: Central Cambria overpowers Karns City girls in Class 3A second round
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The Karns City girls basketball team huddles together ahead of the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City cheers on its teammates in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game against Central Cambria at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Chloe Fritch (4) runs onto the court ahead of the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Naomi Venesky (1) steals the ball from Central Cambria's Keira Link (12) in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Savanna Prescott (14) scores in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game against Central Cambria at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Hanna Dailey (13) blocks Central Cambria's Abigail Sheehan (4) in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Naomi Venesky (1) drives toward the net in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game aaginst Central Cambria at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Hanna Dailey (13) and Hannah Summerville (3) high five ahead of the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City head coach Steve Andreassi shouts a play at the team in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game against Central Cambria at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Chloe Fritch (4) falls after attempting to steal the ball from Central Cambria in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Hanna Dailey (13) and Central Cambria's Alaina Sheehan (2) battle for the ball in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Hannah Summerville (3) passes the ball around Central Cambria's Keira Link (12) in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Savanna Prescott (14) attempts to reach the net in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game against Central Cambria at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Hannah Summerville (3) and Brooklynn Taylor (24) double team Central Cambria's Abigail Sheehan (4) in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Chloe Fritch (4) scores from the free throw line in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game against Central Cambria at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Hanna Dailey (13) and Brooklynn Taylor (24) block Central Cambria's Ava Barra (30) in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Brooklynn Taylor (24) blocks Central Cambria's Alaina Long (11) in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Hanna Dailey (13) runs onto the court ahead of the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Chloe Fritch (4) guards Central Cambria's Alaina Sheehan (2) in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Madison Mahood (52) and Savanna Prescott (14) cheer on their teammates in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game against Central Cambria at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Brooklynn Taylor (24) attempts to reach the net in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game against Central Cambria at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Savanna Prescott (14) blocks Central Cambria's Ava Barra (30) from scoring in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Hannah Summerville (3) and Chloe Fritch (4) embrace after their loss to Central Cambria in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Naomi Venesky (1) blocks Central Cambria's Keira Link (12) from scoring in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Chloe Fritch (4) and Brooklyn Taylor work together to steal the ball from Central Cambria's Abigail Sheehan (4) in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Chloe Fritch (4) and head coach Steve Andreassi embrace after their loss to Central Cambria in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Naomi Venesky (1) tries to prevent Central Cambria's Katie George (44) from passing the ball in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Chloe Fritch (4) attempts to prevent a pass from going out of bounds in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game against Central Cambria at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Naomi Venesky (1) and Chloe Fritch (4) block Central Cambria's Katie George (44) from scoring in the PIAA Class 3A girls basketball second-round game at Armstrong High School on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
MANOR TWP, Armstrong County — Several important statistics worked against Karns City’s girls basketball team against Central Cambria Tuesday night.
The Gremlins were out-rebounded 33-24, just the third time this season they lost the battle of the boards.
They also allowed 50-plus points for just the fourth time all year and offensively shot just 27% (6 of 22) from the floor in the first half.
Those numbers conspired to end the Gremlins’ season with a 56-40 loss to the Red Devils in a PIAA Class 3A second-round playoff game at Armstrong High School.
“We knew they wanted to push the pace, get the ball up the sidelines,” KC coach Steve Andreassi said of the Red Devils. “That’s something we were able to keep teams from doing this year.”
But Central Cambria was able to dictate the flow of play for much of the game.
One exception came during a six-minute span that began late in the third quarter. The Gremlins (23-4) trailed 38-20, but mounted a 13-3 run — fueled by Naomi Venesky, Chloe Fritch, Savanna Prescott and Brooklynn Taylor.
When Taylor drove for a bucket with 3:59 left in the game, the deficit was down to 41-33.
Central Cambria sophomore forward Katie George drained a 3-pointer, then scored three points the traditional way and KC’s momentum was sunk.
George is not a starter but came off the bench to post a game-high 19 points.
“I talked with a couple coaches who played them this season, and they said (George) is their best player,” Andreassi said. “She had 27 points in one game and 21 in another.
“We fought back to get back in the game, but not finding the hole in the first half hurt us. We scored just 15 points in the first two quarters.”
George hit four free throws in the first half, and did most of her damage after the break, including all five of her field goals.
“Katie played and scored some as a freshman last year,” Central Cambria coach Brittany Bracken said. “But she worked very hard and came back better than ever this season.
“Karns City is a very good team, and I’m proud of our girls for coming out of here with a win.”
The other two reserves who played for the Red Devils — Ava Barra and Rowyn Ruddek — also scored not long after entering the game in the first half.
Trailing 24-15 at halftime, the Gremlins were looking to find a spark as the third quarter began.
A pair of treys from Taylor gave them a lift, but Alaina Sheehan and George answered from beyond the arc at the opposite end.
“When you’re already down, trying to get back into the game and they hit two daggers like that, it makes it very tough,” Andreassi said.
Taylor scored all of her team-high 11 points in the second half. Venesky and Fritch both added 11.
Sheehan scored 12 for the Red Devils.
KC had won 11 of its previous 12 games. The team earned a third straight District 9 title this season.
Playing their final game for the Gremlins were seniors Taylor, Prescott, Fritch and Shae Pistorius.
“As freshmen, they came in raw and unsure of themselves, but they’ve meant so much to this program,” Andreassi said. “We have nothing to be ashamed of and walk out with our heads held high.”
Central Cambria (19-8) will face Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, which defeated Greensburg Central Catholic, in a quarterfinal Friday.
KARNS CITY 40
Naomi Venesky 4 2-4 10, Chloe Fritch 3 4-5 10, Savanna Prescott 3 3-6 9, Brooklynn Taylor 5 0-0 11, Hanna Dailey 0 0-0 0, Hannah Summerville 0 0-0 0, Shae Pistorius 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15 9-15 40.
CENTRAL CAMBRIA 56
Alaina Sheehan 4 2-2 12, Abigail Sheehan 1 4-4 6, Alaina Long 3 1-2 7, Keira Link 1 0-0 2, Aubrey Ruddek 1 0-0 3, Ava Barra 1 0-0 2, Katie George 5 7-7 19, Rowyn Ruddek 2 0-0 5. Totals: 18 14-15 56.
Karns City 11 4 9 16 — 40
Central Cambria 13 11 14 18 — 56
3-point goals: Karns City 1 (Taylor); Central Cambria 6 (George 2, Al.Sheehan 2, A.Ruddek, R.Ruddek)
