JEFFERSON TWP — These days Nina Shaw can be found drenched in sweat after another intensive workout.

The Knoch freshman isn't about to rest on her laurels, even amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Shaw is still finding ways to improve. Still finding ways to grind.

“I should have done better,” Shaw said when describing her debut season for the Knights girls basketball team, which made a bit of history this winter. “I was still trying to understand high school ball. I'm going to be better at everything next year.”

Shaw was pretty good this year despite battling injuries.

Shaw missed two games because of a concussion and battled knee problems, but still managed 7.5 points and four assists per game.

It was what she did that didn't show up in the box score that made her most valuable.

She was stellar on defense and was one of the best point guards in the WPIAL despite her inexperience.

“Nina gets the ball,” said Knoch coach Chris Andreassi, “and she makes stuff happen.”

Shaw, who is just 5-foot-1, is nearly impossible to steal the ball from. Her quickness also makes her tough to guard and leaves teammates open.

She wants to get even quicker.

She also wants to get stronger so she can be more durable and play more minutes.

“I want to work on my endurance because I want to be able to run up and down the floor longer,” Shaw said.

Shaw admits the injuries didn't help.

She had to wear big, bulky pads to protect her knees, which she initially hurt while diving for a loose ball.

Shaw also suffered her concussion while hitting the floor for a contested possession.

“At the beginning of the season they made me wear special knee pads, which made me mad,” Shaw said. “I want to be stronger so things like that don't happen again.”

Shaw has been a point guard “all her life,” which really hasn't been that long. She started playing basketball in the third grade and quickly took to the position.

From the first day she stepped into the high school gym, Andreassi had his point guard.

But Shaw wasn't taking anything for granted.

“I knew I needed to work 10 times harder,” Shaw said. “I had to earn it. I worked extra hard in practice and earned the spot and the respect of my teammates.”

Andreassi has also raved about Shaw's defense, but she again believes she can do better.

“Sometimes I spend all my energy on offense and I slack off a little on defense,” Shaw said. “Defense for me is heart.”

To get better, Shaw has been running more and has also been a fixture at her neighborhood basketball courts, which are still open.

During her freshman year, she improved — especially her scoring punch — as the season wore on for the Knights, who won 17 games and had their first winning season and playoff victory in a decade.

She wants to keep that improvement going.

“I'm just working on different types of skills,” Shaw said. “I'm working on my range and my foul shots. I can't wait to see what we can do next year.”