Undefeated Blackhawk stands in way of Knoch girls’ bid for 1st WPIAL title

By: George Guido
Thursday, March 3, 2022 | 5:15 PM

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Knoch was one of the pioneering girls basketball programs in the Alle-Kiski Valley.

Now, the Knights are vying for a championship to call their own.

Third-seeded Knoch (21-2) will face Blackhawk (23-0) in the Class 4A title game at 3 p.m. Saturday at Petersen Events Center.

It will be the first time the Knights have appeared in a championship game after making the semifinal round for the first time last season with a 51-45 victory over Blackhawk at the Knoch gym.

It was the last time Blackhawk lost a game.

Coach Steve Lodovico, who celebrated his 300th victory as Blackhawk coach earlier this season, said the Cougars aren’t dwelling on last year’s setback.

“We don’t talk about last year,” Lodovico said. “Knoch’s a very good team with (Maddie) Boyer there and point guard (Nina) Shaw. They’re a fast-paced team, and we respect what they’ve done.”

In last season’s game, Knoch was off its game early, misfiring on seven of its first eight 3-point tries before Shaw got going in the second quarter. Shaw had to leave the game with an injury in the second half but returned to lead the Knights with 21 points.

Knoch punched its ticket to the finals with an impressive 56-45 victory over No. 2 Southmoreland on Tuesday at Gateway High School. Boyer poured in a career-high 27 points, and Shaw contributed 15 points — 11 in the fourth quarter.

It didn’t take long for things to sink in for the Knights and coach Chris Andreassi.

“When we were walking off the floor, somebody came up to me and said, ‘Do your girls know they are going to The Pete?’ ” Andreassi said. “I said, ‘Yeah, they know. They act like they’ve been there before. They’re very happy.’ ”

Boyer is ready for the challenge.

“I think, honestly, they’re a better team this year,” Boyer said. “They had some young players last year that now have some experience. It should be a very good game.”

At the same time, Blackhawk kept its record unblemished with a 76-53 win over Elizabeth Forward at West Allegheny. Sophomore Alena Fusetti tallied 28 points.

Blackhawk, however, has not relied on one player.

“The biggest thing is we’re very well-balanced. There’s not one girl that’s our leading scorer,” Lodovico said. “We have four different players averaging in double figures. We also bring up to four players off the bench that can be very hard to stop. We try to wear opponents down.”

Said Andreassi: “They are a great basketball team. I’ve seen them play this year. They are so very deep, and they just keep coming at you. We have to get ready to take care of the basketball.”

Before last season, Knoch and Blackhawk met twice in the playoffs, with the Cougars winning 48-35 in the 2004 quarterfinals and 47-43 in the ’05 quarters.

The Cougars have won seven WPIAL titles, with the 2011, ’14 and ’15 champions under Lodovico’s guidance. Blackhawk has 101 playoff victories in 30 postseason appearances.

Knoch is 8-13 in playoff games, starting with a 1972 loss to McKeesport after winning Section 1 in the first season of girls basketball. It was then known as the Western Pennsylvania Girls Athletic League (WPGAL) before formally joining the WPIAL three years later.

Tags: Blackhawk, Knoch