ST. MARYS 74, PUNXSUTAWNEY 42

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Feb. 24, 2009 - District 9 Class AAA Boys' Semifinals

ST. MARYS – St. Marys used a 17-2 third-quarter run to oust Punxsutawney from the District 9 playoffs with a 74-42 win in the District 9 Class AAA boys’ semifinals Tuesday night at the “Dutch Oven” in St. Marys.

The second-seeded Dutch (14-9) led by just six, 36-30, a couple of minutes into the second half before senior Brett Quiggle made sure third-seeded Punxsutawney (12-11) didn’t get any closer. Quiggle scored 10 of his 15 points in the third quarter, and then fellow senior Levi Welder added 11 points in the fourth quarter helping St. Marys outscore Punxsutawney 21-10 in the final frame and 46-19 in the second half. Welder finished with a game-high 21 points to go with seven rebounds and six blocked shots. Quiggle added seven rebounds and four steals, while Jon Petrocchi recorded his first career double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Matt Guido added 13 points and a season-high 15 assists, while Shealin Mulcahy had eight points.

Tommy Bush led Punxsutawney with 15 points, while Corey Neal had 10, all in the second half. Dane Kopas chipped in nine.

St. Marys got off to a good start taking an 11-4 lead six minutes into the first quarter behind 3-pointers from Petrocchi and Quiggle and two short-range jumpers from Guido.

But Punxsutawney bounced right back using an 8-0 run sparker by a three and a layup from Bush to trail by a single point, 14-13, at the end of the first quarter.

St. Marys again tried to pull away early in the second, as Guido scored six points and had the Dutch up eight, 26-15, with two minutes to go in the half.  But again Punxsutawney rallied, as Bush again hit a three and a short jumper as the buzzer sounded cutting the Dutch lead to 28-23 at intermission.

The win qualifies St. Marys for the PIAA Playoffs for the second time in three years. The Dutch fell to Warren in  a 2007 play-in game.

St. Marys will face Clearfield at 3 p.m. Saturday at Clarion University's Tippin Gym in the District 9 title game.

NOTES - St. Marys had 24 assists on 32 baskets and turned the ball over just seven times. 

ST. MARYS 74, PUNXSUTAWNEY 42

Score by Quarters

Punxsy 13 10 9 10 – 42

St. Marys 14 14 25 21 – 74

Punxsutawney – 42

Bush 6 0-0 15, C. Neal 4 0-0 10, Kopas 3 2-3 9, Starr 0 0-0 0, Stumpf 4 0-2 8, Tibbs 0 0-0 0, Walker 0 0-0 0, Amundson 0 0-0 0,  Puleio 0 0-0 0,  Fugate 0 0-0 0, K. Neal 0 0-0 0, Weaver 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 2-5 42.

St. Marys – 74

Welder 10 0-0 21, B. Quiggle 6 0-0 15, Guido 5 1-2 13, Mulcahy 4 0-0 8, Petrocchi 6 0-2 14, Simchick 0 0-0 0, Cogan 0 0-2 0, J. Quiggle 0 0-0 0, Hoy 1 0-0 3, Hockman 0 0-0 0. Totals 32 1-6 74.