The Knoch Girls basketball team advanced to the WPIAL Class 4A finals on Saturday with an impressive wire-to-wire win over the #2 seed Southmoreland Scotties last night at Gateway High School. The Lady Knights executed head coach Chris Andreassi’s game plan to perfection, and put together a total team effort to win 56-45 and advance to take on the undefeated Blackhawk Cougars Saturday afternoon at 3pm and the Peterson Events Center on Campus at the University of Pittsburgh.
Senior Maddie Boyer paced the Knights with 27 points, and Junior Nina Shaw added 15 – including 11 in the 4th quarter – to send the Knights to the Championship game for the first time in school history. The Knights knocked down 22 of 25 free-throw attempts, and never trailed in the game. Southmoreland’s Gracie Spadaro (Spa-dare-o) finished with 19 for the Scotties – 14 of those in the 4th quarter well after the Knights had sealed the victory.
The Lady Knights will be only the second basketball team from Knoch to play in a WPIAL final – the boys made the final in 2004 – losing to Moon. The 21-2 Knights will face the only undefeated girls team in the WPIAL – as the Cougars sit at 24-0 with their last loss coming in the quarterfinals last season – to Knoch. Blackhawk defeated Elizabeth Forward 76-53 last night in the other 4A Semifinal.
WISR airtime Saturday will be 2:30 as we visit with head coach Chris Andreassi. Scott Briggs and former Knoch Girls head coach Dr. Curt Vasas will have the call from the Pete!