WPIAL basketball: Knoch boys suffocate Central Valley to make Class 4A semis, PIAA tournament

February 18, 2026 Last Updated: February 18, 2026 11:44 PM Sports

Knoch Players Derek Lang (2), Vincent Defelice (30), Liam Avon (24) and Colt Sprankle (12) celebrate after defeating Central Valley 57-24 in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball quarterfinal game Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at North Allegheny High School. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

WEXFORD — It’s very difficult for most opponents to hang with Knoch boys basketball for an entire game.

After Wednesday night’s WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinal playoff, Central Valley can attest.

Leading by a single point after the first quarter, the No. 3 Knights shifted to another gear the No. 6 Warriors simply could not match as Knoch advanced to the semifinals with a 57-24 victory at North Allegheny High School.

While a balanced offense once again showed up in a Knights’ win with three players scoring in double digits, defense headlined this latest triumph.

Central Valley managed more field goals in the first quarter (five) than it made the rest of the game (four).

“Our guys did a good job with the 2-3 zone, defended the passing lanes well and stopped the dribble penetration that led to some easy baskets in the first quarter,” Knoch coach Joe Lafko said.

Knoch (20-4) will face Section 1-4A rival North Catholic in a semifinal Saturday at a site and time to be determined. The teams split the regular-season series.

The Trojans won their own semifinal 73-64 in comeback fashion against Elizabeth Forward.

Knoch's Teegan Finucan (21) shoots the ball against Central Valley in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball quarterfinal game Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at North Allegheny High School. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

Knoch’s onslaught began in earnest in the second period with a 9-0 run fueled by Teegan Finucan’s 3-pointer and conventional three-point play. Derek Lang duplicated the latter, and Roman DeFelice added another trifecta that put the Knights up 23-10 with 3:55 left in the half.

The Warriors (16-8), hampered by turnovers, got off just five shot attempts in the second quarter. They trailed 27-15 at halftime, then were clubbed with Knoch’s 22-6 run in the third that ended the competitive aspect of the game.

“We could definitely feel their frustration,” Roman DeFelice said. “We could hear some of the banter between their players. It was like they were falling apart.”

Senior guard Adam Shroads led CV’s anemic offense with just six points.

“We’ve played mostly a zone defense this year, and Hopewell used it to beat (the Warriors) twice this season,” DeFelice said. “We figured it would cause them problems.”

Finucan led all scorers with 22 points and is now just 15 shy of breaking the program’s all-time record of 1,475.

Roman DeFelice and Vinnie DeFelice added 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Wednesday’s victory, which clinched a state playoff berth for Knoch, marked the 13th time this season the Knights have won a game by at least 15 points.

CENTRAL VALLEY 24

Angelo Conti 2 0-0 4, Wyatt Clark 1 0-0 3, Adam Shroads 2 1-2 6, Ryan Conti 1 2-2 4, Ethan Shearer 1 0-2 2, Jamel Price 1 0-1 2, Parker Lewchenko 1 0-0 3. Totals: 9 3-7 24.

KNOCH 57

Derek Lang 4 1-3 9, Roman DeFelice 5 0-2 11, Teegan Finucan 8 3-3 22, Liam Avon 2 1-2 5, Vinnie DeFelice 4 2-2 10, Owen Gillis 0 0-0 0, 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 7-12 57.

CV 10 5 6 3 — 24

Knoch 11 16 22 8 — 57

3-point goals: Central Valley 3 (Clark, Shroads, Lewchenko); Knoch 4 (Finucan 3, R.DeFelice).

Saturday: Knoch vs. North Catholic, WPIAL Class 4A semifinal, site and time TBD

Eddie Clancy

Knoch guard Roman DeFelice (13) shoots a layup in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball quarterfinal game Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at North Allegheny High School. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy

Knoch's Roman DeFelice (13) sets up at the top of the key against Central Valley in a WPIAL Class 4A boys basketball quarterfinal game Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at North Allegheny High School. Eddie Clancy/Butler Eagle

Eddie Clancy