WEXFORD - Shenango coach Bill McNees kept throwing different defenses at the Freeport boys basketball team Wednesday.

The Yellowjackets found ways to solve them.

Freeport used an 11-0 run to erase a 10-8 deficit and cruised to an 85-70 PIAA Class AA second-round playoff victory at North Allegheny High School.

The win moves Freeport (18-6) to the Western Semifinals against Sto-Rox (23-4) - a 58-53 winner over Aliquippa - Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

The Wildcats employed a three-corner zone, a triangle-and-2, and man-to-man defenses, but the Yellowjackets found ways around them.

"They came out shooting lights out," said McNees. "It didn't matter what defense we played they kept scoring points."

Shenango (20-8) opened the game in the zone, something Freeport coach Garrie Davies hadn't seen on videotape.

The teams matched basket for basket and the Wildcats took a 10-8 lead just 2:32 into the game.

But in a span of 90 seconds, Freeport scored 11 points to take a 19-10 lead.

Dave Bauman had five points and Brent Ferko had four to highlight the surge.

"We were passive and they shot well early," said Davies. "Getting them out of the zone helped.

"If you start strong, it reaffirms things that the coaches talked about," he added.

"(Freeport) knocked down two or three shots when we didn't, and that started the momentum," said McNees.

Thanks to five 3-pointers, Freeport took a 25-18 lead after one quarter to build a double-digit lead.

Chuck Chelecki opened the second quarter with a basket and a 3-pointer to give Freeport a 30-18 lead.

Shawn DeJohn and Steve McNees sandwiched a Ferko basket with 3-pointers to pull the Wildcats to within eight points, 32-24.

Freeport countered by scoring the next eight points to take a 40-24 lead.

Shenango went four minutes without a point before closing out the frame with three free throws.

"We couldn't buy a basket in the second quarter and they couldn't miss," said McNees.

Freeport used a 26-12 third-quarter advantage to take a 66-39 lead, and when Ferko sank two free throws just four seconds into the fourth quarter, the Yellowjackets enjoyed their biggest lead of the night - 29 points.

Shenango's Terry Grossetti, who will play football at Liberty University this fall, scored 12 of his 24 points in the final quarter.

"We got outplayed, but not outhustled," said McNees. "We knew Bauman and Ferko could stick it. Some of their shots were NBA range. I don't know what more we could do," he added.

Ferko finished with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Bauman added 19 points. Chelecki chipped in with 15 points and seven assists, Chris Plocki had 11 points and Luke Westerman had eight assists and three steals.

"From Day 1, we've played a balanced game," said Ferko. "When we do that, we feel we can win anytime. It's hard to guard just one person.

"Early in the season, we played teams we lost to that went far in the playoffs. It got us ready," Ferko added.

SHENANGO 70

Shawn DeJohn 2 0-0 6, Terry Grossetti 9 5-9 24, Matt Norge 3 3-4 9, Phil Thompson 2 0-0 5, Steve McNees 4 4-9 13, Neal Goff 3 2-3 10, Kyle Piper 1 0-0 3, Kyle Monceaux 0 0-0 0, Brady Workman 0 0-0 0, Joe Senko 0 0-0 0. Totals: 24 14-25 70.

FREEPORT 85

Brent Ferko 10 4-4 26, Luke Westerman 1 3-4 6, David Bauman 5 4-6 19, Chuck Chelecki 6 2-4 15, Chris Plocki 5 1-2 11, Adam Isenberg 2 0-2 4, Bill Giesler 1 0-0 2, Brian Zimmerman 0 0-0 0, Brady Sherrieb 0 2-2 2, Ian Kaminski 0 0-0 0, Tim Mackowski 0 0-0 0, Brad Naedele 0 0-0 0, Nick Rutkoski 0 0-0 0. Totals: 30 16-24 85.

3-point goals:

DeJohn 2, Goff 2, Grossetti, Thompson, McNees, Piper; Bauman 5, Ferko 2, Westerman, Chelecki