High stakes as Knoch, Highlands girls set for showdown Saturday
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Wednesday, February 2, 2022 | 6:51 PM
Knoch’s Madilyn Boyer drives to the basket against Highlands on Jan. 10, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Knoch’s CeCe Kosecki pressures Highlands’ Kalleigh Nerone during their Section 1-4A game on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Highlands’ Kalleigh Nerone brings the ball upcourt during a Section 1-4A game against Knoch on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Highlands’ Jocelyn Bielak drives past Knoch’s Karlee Buterbaugh during their Section 1-4A game on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Highlands’ Kalleigh Nerone drives past Knoch’s Naturelle Ewing during their Section 1-4A game on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at Highlands High School.
Knoch’s Nina Shaw drives to the basket past Highlands’ Shelby Wojcik during their Section 1-4A game on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022, at Highlands High School.
The Knoch girls basketball team stands on the cusp of securing the Section 1-4A championship.
That hasn’t happened in Saxonburg since 1972, when the Knights, as well as all other girls teams in the region, played in the Western Pennsylvania Girls Athletic League before joining the WPIAL for the 1973-74 school year.
Highlands (16-2, 8-1) also has section-title goals, and it hopes to stop Knoch (16-2, 10-0) as the teams are set to battle at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Knoch.
“Coach (Chris Andreassi) has really nailed it into our heads that this won’t be the same game as the first time around,” said Knoch leading scorer Madilyn Boyer (15.2 points per game), referring to the her team’s 50-33 triumph at Highlands on Jan. 10.
“We’re going to have to come out just as strong, if not stronger, because we know Highlands wants a little revenge. They will come out very strong.”
The teams originally were to clash Thursday evening, but a winter storm that is expected to include snow, freezing rain and icy conditions caused the game to be postponed.
Highlands senior guard Maria Fabregas, who is averaging 10.8 points, said her team will be ready.
“Our recent games have shown we’ve been improving a lot, and that’s what we expected,” said Fabregas, one of four players to score in double digits in Tuesday’s 76-54 nonsection victory over Keystone Oaks.
“We’re really confident in our game right now, but we don’t want to be overconfident. We’re just ready to battle.”
Fabregas and sophomore Shelby Wojcik scored 12 each against the Eagles. Sophomore Jocelyn Bielak led all scorers with a career-best 25 to go with 12 rebounds, and sophomore Kalleigh Nerone contributed 17.
Knoch and Highlands enter the game on impressive winning streaks.
The Knights, who have won 13 straight since a loss to Mars on Dec. 22, raced past section foe Valley, 75-22, on Monday to improve to 10-0 in the section with Saturday’s matchup with the Golden Rams and a game at Freeport (5-8, 4-4) remaining.
Boyer, a senior guard, led the way with a game-best 22 points, and junior guard Nina Shaw added 18. Shaw is averaging 13.6 points and 5.1 assists.
Shaw scored a career-high 26 points in the first matchup with the Golden Rams and hit five 3-pointers as Knoch led by as many as 22 points in the third quarter.
Another win over Highlands would give Knoch the outright crown.
“We hadn’t talked too much about (the game with Highlands) until the last couple of days,” Andreassi said.
“We are preparing businesslike as we always do. The girls know what is at hand, and it’s Highlands. No matter the records, it’s Highlands. They are hitting their stride, and they’ve responded with some impressive wins.
“In that first game, we played well and shot the ball pretty well. We were able to build a lead in the first half, but I don’t think the result was indicative of the kind of team Highlands has. We fully expect a close game this time around.”
The Golden Rams’ win against Keystone Oaks was their eighth straight since the loss to the Knights.
“We’re young. We’re starting four sophomores,” Highlands coach Jason Kerr said.
“But there were high expectations placed on them, and that first game with Knoch was one of the first games of that magnitude for a number of them. That was a tough game, but the girls did a nice job moving past that and have been playing really well with the last six or so games won by 20 or more. We’re defending better, and we’re scoring more. The girls have learned a lot, and they hope to show it Saturday.”
Highlands and Knoch each are scoring close to 55 points per game. The Knights are surrendering just 28.4, while the Golden Rams are giving up 36.1.
They are the top two teams in both categories in the section.
Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.
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