Knoch makes history
By Mike Kilroy
Eagle Staff Writer
JEFFERSON TWP — Knoch girls basketball coach Chris Andreassi succinctly summed up how he felt about his sophomore point guard, Nina Shaw.
“She's special,” the coach said. “She's very special.”
Shaw did everything she could Friday night on her home floor against Blackhawk to prove her coach's words correct.
Shaw scored 21 points, dribbled around and through the Cougars' intense pressure, got a key steal and made three clutch free throws late in the fourth quarter to seal a 51-45 win for the Knights in the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals.
The win catapults Knoch into the district semifinals for the first time in school history.
“We have this one play in practice where it's just four out and I just dribble around them,” Shaw said. “It's not like a coincidence. We practice that. We were ready for that.”
In fact, Blackhawk coach Steve Lodovico changed his defense for Knoch.
The Cougars thrive on the press and trap. Lodovico played a more conventional man-on-man defense because he felt Shaw — as well as Madilyn Boyer, who can also handle the ball well — were too difficult to turn over.
“I really thought Nina controlled the entire show out there today,” Lodovico said. “We just didn't really have an answer for her. She was a difference-maker for them tonight.
“We like to press and trap, but this wasn't a team we felt like we could do that to,” the coach added. “We just didn't get it done tonight.”
Shaw had a big second quarter to help Knoch overcome a deficit that lingered throughout the first quarter.
Shaw hit 3-pointers on consecutive trips down the floor late in the second to put Knoch up 26-22 with a little more than a minute remaining.
Boyer hit a 3-pointer on the Knights' next offensive possession and Knoch led 29-24 at the half.
It was a big confidence booster for Knoch going into the second half.
Up until that stretch, the Knights were struggling from 3-point range.“They put too much time in. They put too many shots up in the offseason,” Andreassi said. “There's never a confidence problem.”The lead changed hands six times in the second half before Knoch took the lead for good at 45-43 midway through the fourth quarter.Blackhawk (13-6), which led the WPIAL Class 4A in points per game this season at 62.5, were held to just four points in the fourth quarter on 1 of 17 shooting.“We didn't play our best game. A lot of that had to do with Knoch,” Lodovico said.“It's tough. You have nights like this and you have to rely on the defensive end and the half court offense and we couldn't get either of those really going tonight.”Shaw drove the dagger into Blackhawk with a steal and then two big free throws in the final 30 seconds.“I knew I had to make one of these because one of these will make a difference,” Shaw said. “Regular free throws. That's what I was thinking.”Shaw left the game with three minutes remaining because of a severe cramp in her calf. She returned with a little less than two minutes on the clock.“I saw two minutes (on the clock) and I was like, 'I have to get back in right now,'” Shaw said. “Our trainer did a really good job. I don't know what she did, but it worked.”Boyer also had a strong game with 13 points. Kassie Potts, Jillian Mannerino and Alena Fusetti each scored eight points to lead Blackhawk.Now Knoch (10-1) will take on No. 1 seed and undefeated Beaver in the semifinals Tuesday at 6 p.m.The Knights, despite being in the semifinals for the first time in school history, aren't wilting under the bright lights.“There's no pressure on us, and I mean that sincerely,” Andreassi said. “These girls love basketball. They absolutely love this game of basketball.“We scrimmaged (Beaver), so they already know them,” Andreassi said. “They know who they are. They know what they do. We'll just go down there and play and see what happens.”BLACKHAWK 45Kassie Potts 4-7 0-0 8, Jillian Mannerino 3-6 0-0 8, Alena Fusetti 2-10 3-4 8, Jolie Strati 3-6 0-0 6, Alivia Thompson 2-7 0-0 4, Deryn Moye 0-1 0-0 0, Piper Romigh 2-7 0-0 4, Casey Nixon 2-5 3-4 7. Totals: 18-52 6-8 45.KNOCH 51Hattie McGraw 2-9 0-0 5, Nevaeh Ewing 3-8 1-1 8, Nina Shaw 5-15 6-9 21, Madilyn Boyer 4-11 4-6 13, Megan Vasas 2-8 0-0 4, CeCe Kosecki 0-0 0-0 0, Kenzie McGraw 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 16-51 11-16 51.Blackhawk 15 9 17 4 — 45Knoch10 19 11 11 — 513-point goals: Blackhawk 3 (Mannerino 2, Fusetti); Knoch 8 (Shaw 5, H. McGraw, Ewing, Boyer)Tuesday: Knoch vs. Beaver
