Knoch earns close playoff win over Beaver Area
JEFFERSON TWP — For most of Friday night’s WPIAL Class 4A opening-round boys hoops playoff game, Knoch coach Alan Bauman had been directing a team he didn’t recognize — not by personnel, but performance.
The host Knights faced an eight-point uphill battle with under six and a half minutes to go, but the cast Bauman’s grown used to materialized shortly after and worked past Beaver Area in a 52-48 victory.
“I thought we just finally got back to being us,” he said. “We went small defensively, started switching everything. That made us a little bit more active and, I thought, baited them into some tough shots.
“This all came down to the final six minutes of that fourth quarter, we were the Knoch basketball team that we’ve seen all year. We got through our nerves finally and became us again.”
Earlier in the second half, the Knights (14-8) allowed the visitors a 13-2 run, which brought on a hint of doubt from a group that was splintered at that juncture.
“We got flustered,” sophomore guard Jackson Bauman said. “When we finally turned, we (worked) as a unit. We were blaming people and everything. It was frustrating that I couldn’t do anything because I was off. I don’t know why. I think the big moment got to me, but it’s alright.
“We got the win.”
The younger Bauman had a pair of three-pointers just over two minutes apart from one another during the surge that pulled Knoch back into it. The second, which was aided by a Kaden Spencer offensive rebound, fell from the left wing and evened matters at 47.
“I feel like that changed it,” Bauman said. “I feel like that gave us a spark and it helped us calm down.”
The Bobcats (12-11) went back ahead on a Nick Krzeczowksi free throw with 1:32 to go. Teegan Finucan gave the Knights a permanent edge by driving the right baseline and laying it in on the next possession.
“Down the stretch, they hit more shots than us,” Beaver Area coach Casey Kaiser said.
Derek Lang and Zarian Finucan hit free throws to help put the win on ice. The former paced Knoch with 17 points.
Four of the Knights’ starters are sophomores, the other a junior. Teegan Finucan, one of the majority, drew three-point fouls twice and cashed in the miscues to help keep Knoch in it.
Still, for a stretch, the overall inexperience reared its head.
“We were making decisions tonight that we hadn’t made all year,” Coach Bauman said. “We were throwing passes that we hadn’t made all year. We were missing kick-outs that we’ve made all year. It comes back to we’re young and it felt like, at times, that our sophomores thought, ‘Man, I’ve got to go make a play instead of just trusting as a unit.’”
Though animated in front of the bench during competition, the coach recognizes that it’s a learning curve for his guys.
“This is our first time through this,” he said. “Last year, we played a play-in game. That doesn’t matter. This year, we were the higher seed. We were at home. You could tell we were just working through things.”
The younger Bauman feels like he and his teammates are making strides.
“We’re gritty,” he said. “We accepted the challenge of them punching us in the mouth. ... It just shows how we’ve matured throughout the season.”
The Knights will play defending state champion Lincoln Park (20-3) in the quarterfinals.
BEAVER AREA 48
Brady Mayo 7 5-6 17, Evan Baker 4 0-0 11, Nick Krzeczowski 3 2-4 10, Ty Butler 3 0-1 6, Pacer Hill 1 0-0 2, Amari Jackson 1 0-0 2. Totals 19 7-11 48.
KNOCH 52
Derek Lang 6 3-4 17, Teegan Finucan 3 8-12 14,Jackson Bauman 5 0-0 12, Zane Pacek 2 0-0 4,,, Kaden Spencer 1 0-0 2, Zarian Finucan 0 3-4 3. Totals: 17 14-20 52.
Beaver 14 10 12 12 — 48
Knoch 12 10 11 19 — 52
3-point goals: Beaver Area 5 (Baker 3, Krzeczowski 2); Knoch 4 (Lang 2, Bauman 2)
Wednesday: Knoch vs. Lincoln Park
