JEFFERSON TWP — Pinned to a bulletin board outside of the Knoch boys basketball locker room is a piece of paper with the heading “Knoch Basketball, Who We Are.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, No. 1 on that list is “Being great defensively.”

Knoch has been just that this season, including Tuesday night when the Knights held Kittanning to six points in the first half, 13 after three quarters and 1-of-30 shooting at one point on the way to a 68-25 home section win.

“Defense is a lot of effort,” said Knoch coach Ron McNabb. “We’re certainly hunkering down and playing good defense. I just think that comes from what we do in practice each day. We just emphasize it so much.”

Knoch has given up 37.6 points per game this season, best of any team in any class of the WPIAL. Toss out the 77 points the Knights gave up to quad-A power Hampton, and that average dips to 34.8.

From his first day as coach before the 2012-13 season, McNabb preached defense above all else.

After a rocky start on that end of the floor at the beginning of last season, Knoch has found its defensive footing.

“It was just the repetition of drills and taking away dribble penetration,” McNabb said. “We were a poor team at doing that last year. We kept working at it.”

Knoch (13-2 overall, 7-1 in Section 1-AAA) has given up 40 or more points just five times this season.

Chris Kier, a 6-foot-2 senior forward, is the defensive specialist for the Knights. He is usually tasked with guarding the opposition’s biggest scoring threat.

It’s a role he relishes.

“I pride myself on defense because I’m not much of a scorer,” Kier said.

The seeds for the dominant ‘D’ have been sowed in practice where the Knights have specific drills that are as spirited as they are physical.

“The intensity of these drills is like nothing I’ve ever seen before,” said 6-5 senior forward Jim Larrimer. “I think it really helps us out on defense.”

One of those drills is called “Arizona Tough.”

“We split up into two teams and it’s 2-on-2,” Larrimer said. “I don’t want to say it’s a free-for-all, but it’s pretty much a free-for-all. You really have to work hard in that drill. You have to be on your feet, moving fast and ready to go.”

The defense has led to scoring opportunities on the other end, as it did against Kittanning (5-11, 2-6).

David Gallagher scored a game-high 16 points in a little more that three quarters and Matt Zanella and Austin Miller each added nine for the Knights.

“Defense is constant,” McNabb said. “There are going to be days when Austin isn’t shooting well and David isn’t shooting well, but our defense will keep us in the game. That has happened this year. It’s won us a lot of games.”

With more section tests looming, McNabb hopes to win even more games.

With defense, of course.

“I think they take great pride in being hard workers and bringing their lunch buckets and getting after it,” McNabb said. “They are making the coaching staff extremely proud of them.”

KITTANNING 25

Alek Schaffer 1-12 2-2 4, Eric Huling 4-12 1-4 9, James Webb 0-4 0-0 0, Logan Slagle 1-6 2-2 5, Tanner Witneski 0-1 2-2 2, Corey Oresick 0-0 0-0 0, Noah Spang 1-6 0-0 3, Nathan Falchetti 0-0 0-0 0, Brenton Pless 0-0 0-0 0, Kyle Hockenberry 1-1 0-2 2, Zach Young 0-0 0-0 0, Gary Schaub 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 8-42 7-12 25.

KNOCH 68

Austin Miller 3-6 1-2 9, David Gallagher 4-9 4-4 16, Stephen Oblich 2-3 1-3 7, Matt Zanella 3-4 3-4 9, Chris Kier 3-4 3-4 9, Jim Larrimer 4-7 0-0 8, Troy Hixson 0-1 0-0 0, Aiden Albert 0-1 0-0 0, Connor Shinsky 1-3 0-0 2, Mac Christy 3-5 0-0 6, Jackson McKee 2-2 0-0 5, Austin Hannes 0-0 4-4 4, Josh Knochel 0-0 0-0 0, Trevor Swihart 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-44 13-17 68.

Kittanning 2 4 7 12 — 25

Knoch18 12 23 15 — 68

3-point goals: Kittanning 2 (Slagle, Spang); Knoch 7 (Miller 2, Gallagher 4, McKee)

JV: Knoch 55-24

Friday: Knoch at Indiana