MVP HEETER LEADS BLUE TO WIN IN 11TH ANNUAL ALICE R. KOZEL FOUNDATION DISTRICT 9 GIRLS’ ALL-STAR BASKETBALL GAME
Cranberry star scored 22 points, grabs 22 rebounds in 77-56 win
PUNXSUTAWNEY – Cranberry’s Hannah Heeter scored 22 points and grabbed a Kozel Game record 22 rebounds to lead the Blue Squad to a 77-56 win over the White Team in the 11th annual Alice R. Kozel Foundation District 9 Girls’ All-Star game Saturday at Punxsutawney High School.
Heeter also set a Kozel Game record with 11 made shots going 11 of 16 from the field. She had 12 offensive rebounds and 10 defensive boards while adding four steals, three blocked shots and two assists.
Blue led by just two, 55-53, with 5:50 left to play but went on a 17-0 run over the next 3:44 to break the game open.
DuBois’ Kirsten Wilcox added 14 points and four steals with Clarion’s Skyler Ganoe chipping in 13 points, five rebounds and three assists for the Blue Team. Brockway’s Michelle Mancuso added 10 rebounds and three blocked shots helping Blue outrebound White 74-53.
West Forest’s Geena Sneeringer led White, which led 32-31 at halftime, with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Clarion’s Kaitlin Roth added 12 points, three steals and three rebounds with Union’s Brooke Pollock chipping in eight points and six rebounds. North Clarion’s Karlee Cyphert added seven points.
NOTES – The previous rebounding record was 18 set by Punxsutawney’s Stacie Heberling in 2005, while Heberling also previously held the field goals made record with 10 the same year … Heeter’s 22 points are the second most in Kozel Game history behind Bradford’s Sara Eddy, who scored 23 in the game’s inaugural year in 2000 … At halftime of the game, Elk County Catholic’s Robby Wortman won the boys’ 3-point shooting contest scoring 15 points bettering teammate Joe Jacob and Clearfield’s Chad Zurat by three points.