BRADFORD 59, ECC 53 - Lady Owls win D9 League Title

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Feb. 14, 2012

By Blaise O’Connor

BRADFORD – Kaserra Owens scored eight of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter helping Bradford stay unbeaten with a 59-53 come-from-behind win over visiting Elk County Catholic in D9 League girls’ basketball action Tuesday night.

Bradford (21-0 overall, 9-0 D9 League) trailed 42-41 going the fourth quarter but outscored ECC (19-3, 7-3) 18-11 in the fourth quarter to wrap up the D9 League title.

In addition to Owens, Emily Marshall, Bradford’s lone senior, hit four crucial free throws down the stretch for the Lady Owls, and ECC had two of its top players – Lexie Meholic and Abbi Petrosky – fouled out in the final three minutes.

Bradford led by two, 14-12 at the end of the first quarter after Ali Rinfrette scored 10 of her 19 points in the quarter. But ECC pulled within a point, 27-26, at halftime thanks to Kristy Haines, who scored 13 of her 15 points and 14 of ECC’s second-quarter points in the quarter. Meholic then helped the Lady Crusaders go ahead after three quarters scoring 10 points in the quarter, and it was a Haines buzzer-beating layup that put ECC in the lead going to the fourth quarter.

Bradford, which has already secured the top seed in the District 9 Class AAA playoffs, finishes its season at Punxsutawney Friday. The Lady Owls are looking for their third unbeaten regular season (1992 and 1993 are the others).

ECC is done with the regular season. The Lady Crusaders are back in action Friday in the AML Playoffs when they host Brockway. ECC has secured the No. 2 seed in the District 9 Class A postseason.  

Bradford 59, Elk County Catholic 53

Score by Quarters

Elk County Catholic       12     14    16    11    53

Bradford                      14     13    14    18    59

Elk County Catholic: 53

Struble 1 0-0 3, Petrosky 1 0-0 2, Taylor DaCanal 7 0-1 14, Onink 0 2-2 2, Kristy Haines 6 0-0 15, Imbrogno 1 0-0 3, Lexie Meholic 6 0-0 14  Totals:  22 2-3  53  3 PT FG (Haines 3, Meholic 2, Struble, Imbrogno)  

Bradford:  59

Marshall 0 4-4 4, A. Vinella 2 0-0 4, Ali Rinfrette 6 4-4 19, Haley Vinelli 5 1-2 11, Kaserra Owens 8 4-10 21  Totals: 21 13-20  59  3 PT FG (Rinfrette 3, Owens)