Knoch girls top Freeport, stay unbeaten in section

By: Michael Love
Tuesday, January 18, 2022 | 9:41 PM

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The Knoch girls basketball team keeps rolling along in Section 1-4A.

Last week, the Knights took care of business, beating Highlands by 17 points in a battle of section unbeatens with first place on the line.

On Tuesday at home, Knoch produced another fast start, this time against rival Freeport.

The Knights then withstood a rally by the Yellowjackets and prevailed 54-33.

“Our coaches always say that it doesn’t matter what the records are. It’s always going to be a tough game against Freeport. We know we always have to come out and play hard against them,” said junior guard Hattie McGraw, who hit a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter, added one in the second and finished with 14 points for the Knights.

“It’s always nice to get a win against them.”

Knoch upped its record to 6-0 in the section and improved to 12-2 overall. The Knights have won nine in a row since a 54-49 loss to Mars three days before Christmas.

Knoch will look to remain perfect in section Thursday as it hosts Deer Lakes. Tuesday was the third in a string of four consecutive home games for the Knights.

Leading scorer Madilyn Boyer, a senior, finished with a team-best 15 points, and sophomore Naturelle Ewing scored 10.

Junior Nina Shaw, saddled with early foul trouble, hit a pair of 3-pointers en route to eight points.

McGraw’s nine-point first quarter helped the Knights build a 17-7 lead after the first eight minutes.

Freeport cut it to single digits before Knoch extended the lead back to double figures and led 34-19 at the break.

Sophomore Abby DeJidas made a 3-pointer for the Yellowjackets shortly after halftime, but Knoch outscored Freeport, 18-4, in the third and went to the fourth ahead 52-23.

“We did a nice job of setting the tone,” Knoch coach Chris Andreassi said.

“But we then let them back in it a little bit. We have to do a better job of closing out on shots. Freeport made a lot of shots to get themselves back in the game.

“Both teams played really hard. That is what you come to expect when Knoch and Freeport meet. (Freeport coach) Fred (Soilis) does a nice job with that team, and they were certainly ready to play.”

“It’s nice to be where we are right now in the section and overall, but we just have to do a little better job with some of the little things. We’re not content. We have our sights set higher.”

Juniors Ava Soilis and Marlee Sholtes paced Freeport with nine points apiece. Sholtes drained three of the Yellowjackets’ five 3-pointers.

Knoch finished with nine 3s.

Freeport, 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the section, plays a nonsection game Friday against St. Joseph before returning to section play Monday at Deer Lakes.

“I am proud of the comeback we had to cut it to seven,” Freeport coach Fred Soilis said.

“They sort of started to figure out our zone. I don’t know if they expected the zone from us. We played hard. We are calling plays that players don’t know where we have to wait to set up or we’re not cutting when we’re supposed to, and that is a problem.

“All that we can do is continue to work. I am not deterred by it, because we are still right there to be in the hunt for the playoffs. There’s still a lot of games to go, and we’ll give it a good shot, that’s for sure.”

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.

Tags: Freeport, Knoch