WPIAL basketball: Knoch boys dunk on East Allegheny to cruise into Class 4A quarterfinals
JEFFERSON TWP — Joe Lafko remembers facing Knoch boys basketball as late as the 2023-24 season.
Then the head coach at Hampton, he was impressed with the Knights.
“I liked their skill level and athleticism, and we had to scheme against that,” Lafko said.
The Knights’ entire starting lineup was underclassmen two years ago, so when Lafko took over as Knoch head coach prior to this season, he had a pretty good idea of what he would be working with.
Knoch’s top five now consists of three seniors and two juniors, and they were hitting on all cylinders Friday in a 56-21 dismantling of East Allegheny in a WPIAL Class 4A first-round playoff game at Knoch High School.
The No. 3 Knights easily erased the 14th-seeded Wildcats’ early 5-0 lead thanks to an 18-0 run that spanned the first and second quarters.
“Our play early on tonight was uncharacteristic, but we settled in and limited their points in transition, which is something they can do well,” Lafko said. “I’m proud of the way we responded.”
The Knights made 11 of their first 16 field goal attempts, and put East Allegheny (10-10) in a 33-13 hole by halftime.
Vinnie DeFelice paced the victory with 19 points and Teegan Finucan scored 13.
While Lafko brought 34 years of head coaching experience to Knoch, there was still an element of the unknown for the team’s players, but that was quickly and easily surmounted.
“One of the first things I noticed about (Lafko) was the structure he brought to the team,” said junior forward Liam Avon, whose dunk in the third quarter Friday sent an already raucous crowd into a frenzy. “Offensively, he puts us in the best position to score. That makes it easy for us. We just need to execute.”
As for Lafko, the biggest hurdle came before the season, though his time at Hampton and Warren gave him valuable experience to draw upon.
“Just knowing how much work is involved to prepare a team for a season, putting together a coaching staff, scheming the offense and defense, the terminology,” he said. “There’s always a bit of nerves when it comes to that.”
The Knights (19-4) will face No. 6 Central Valley, a 50-44 winner over Highlands, in the quarterfinals Wednesday at a site and time to be determined.
EAST ALLEGHENY 21
Chris Portis 2 0-0 5, Cedric Mack 1 0-0 3, Prince Brian Tarrant 0 1-2 1, Jayden Patterson 2 0-0 4, Jaylin Wheeler 1 0-0 2, DJ Warren 1 0-0 2, Jesse Kelley 1 1-2 4, Darius Martin 0 0-0 0. Totals: 8 2-4 21.
KNOCH 56
Derek Lang 4 0-0 8, Roman DeFelice 3 1-4 8, Teegan Finucan 6 0-0 13, Liam Avon 3 0-0 6, Vinnie DeFelice 6 5-6 19, Owen Gillis 1 0-0 2, Jackson McCool 0 0-0 0, Colt Sprankle 0 0-0 0, Dylan Avon 0 0-0 0, Evan Fink 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 6-10 56.
East Allegheny 5 8 4 4 — 21
Knoch 15 18 17 6 — 56
3-point goals: East Allegheny 3 (Portis, Mack, Kelley); Knoch 4 (V.DeFelice 2, R.DeFelice, Finucan).
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Vincent DeFelice (30) shoots over East Allegheny defenders in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Roman DeFelice (13) dribbles around an East Allegheny defender in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Teegan Finucan (21) passes the ball against East Allegheny in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Roman DeFelice (13) shoots over a North Allegheny defender in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Roman DeFelice (13) looks for an opening against a North Allegheny defender in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Teegan Finucan (21) passes the ball against North Allegheny in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Liam Avon (24) dunks against North Allegheny in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Roman DeFelice (13) looks for an opening against a North Allegheny defender in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Roman DeFelice (13) drives around a North Allegheny defender in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Teegan Finucan (21) dribbles through North Allegheny defenders in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first-round game Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Knoch High School in Saxonburg. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Knoch defeated North Allegheny 56-21 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball first round game Friday, Feb. 13, at Knoch High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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