Knoch scores revenge by topping Derry, 69-53
JEFFERSON TWP — Knoch had an ax to grind.
The last time the Knights boys basketball team squared off against Derry, Ryan Bushey scored 41 points and the Trojans downed Knoch, 64-61.
This time around, the Knights were determined to limit Bushey's damage and to defend their castle.
Mission accomplished.
Three Knoch players scored in double digits and the defense held Bushey to half his output from the first meeting (20 points) in a 69-53 win Tuesday night.
“We defended really well tonight,” said Knoch coach Alan Bauman. “Ryan is a really good player and our guys took it personal. I don't care who you are, if you give up 40 to somebody (you're not happy).”
Derry was also determined to limit Knoch's electric Ryan — Ryan Lang — and did so for the most part.
Lang still ended up with 21 points. But his true value against Derry was his ability to create opportunities for his teammates.
Keagan Fraser scored 17 points, Blaze Voltz 11, Zach McMillen nine and Tyler Buterbaugh six for the Knights.“Ryan is a great scorer,” Bauman said. “But Ryan, to play at the next level, has to create for others and that's something we went back to basics and did some stuff the last couple of days for him to create. He did a great job doing that tonight and we hit some shots, which was great.”After a deadlocked first quarter at 10-10, Knoch went on a 10-0 run in the first three-plus minutes of the second quarter.The Knights spent the rest of the game keeping that double-digit lead.It wasn't always easy — Derry made runs at Knoch after the Knights built a lead as large as 19, but the Trojans could never put a significant dent into the deficit.“We haven't played in 10 days — we haven't even practiced,” said Derry coach Tom Esposito. “We did get down early and we got it down to 10 in the third quarter, but we couldn't get that stop to get it down into single-digits.”Derry also hung around because of Knoch's penchant for fouling in the second half.It was something that irked Bauman. But the first-year coach also chalked it up to growing pains.“That's just us still learning,” Bauman said. “We're only in game 16. We've practiced 35 (days) and we should be on 65. We've played 16 games and we should be on game 22. We're still learning and growing.”That's why Tuesday's game — and victory — was so important to the Knights as they enter the WPIAL 4A playoffs Monday at home against Yough.As the game was in the second quarter, the WPIAL released the brackets.“We wanted to win because we wanted to carry momentum into the playoffs,” Bauman said. “We knew the seeding was going on as we were playing. We own the seed we got (No. 15). We messed up a couple of times. This was about us continuing to grow.”<b>DERRY 53</b>Tyler Webb 1-5 1-2 3, Ryan Bushey 7-16 5-10 20, Josh Ulery 4-12 1-1 11, Nick Detore 1-3 0-0 3, Sam Joness 5-11 0-2 10, Gabe Carbonara 1-1 4-4 4, Isaiah Ward 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 19-49 11-14 53.<b>KNOCH 69</b>Keagan Fraser 5-10 7-9 17, Blaze Voltz 4-8 1-1 11, Ryan Lang 8-17 5-6 21, Tyler Buterbaugh 3-5 0-0 6, Zach McMillen 4-7 0-2 9, JJ Szebalskie 1-1 0-0 3, Cole Green 0-1 0-0 0, Logan Harrison 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 26-50 13-18 69.Derry 10 9 12 22 — 53Knoch10 17 18 24 — 693-point goals: Derry 4 (Bushey, Ulery 2, Detore); Knoch 4 (Voltz 2, McMillen, Szebalskie)Monday: Yough at Knoch in WPIAL 4A playoffs, 6 p.m.
