Knoch girls win 1st PIAA playoff game in program history
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Wednesday, March 9, 2022 | 9:58 PM
Knoch’s Karlee Buterbaugh grabs a rebound from St. Marys’ Isabelle Caskey during a PIAA Class 4A first-round game Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Knoch High School.
Knoch’s Hattie McGraw hits a 3-pointer over St. Marys’ Izzy Cathalone on Wednesday.
Knoch’s Maddilyn Boyer scores past St. Marys’ Jayssa Smelick (15) and Isabelle Caskey during a PIAA Class 4A first-round game Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Knoch High School.
Knoch’s Naturelle Ewing (left) ties up St. Marys’ Isabelle Caskey during a PIAA Class 4A first-round game Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Knoch High School.
Knoch coach Chris Andreassi presents Madilyn Boyer with the ball after her 1,000th career point during a PIAA Class 4A first-round game Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Knoch High School.
Knoch’s Maddie Boyer scores past St. Marys’ Maura Caskey during a PIAA Class 4A first-round game Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Knoch High School.
The Knoch cheerleaders hold up 1,000 after Maddie Boyer scored her 1,000th point during a PIAA Class 4A first-round game Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Knoch High School.
Knoch’s Serenity Kosevki (11) and Hattie McGraw tie up St. Marys’ Isabelle Caskey during a PIAA Class 4A first-round game Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Knoch High School.
Knoch’s Naturelle Ewing (15) ties up St. Marys’ Jayssa Smelick during a PIAA Class 4A first-round game Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Knoch High School.
Knoch’s Naturelle Ewing blocks the shot of St. Marys’ Jayssa Smelick during a PIAA Class 4A first-round game Wednesday, March 9, 2022, at Knoch High School.
Three was the magic number for the Knoch girls basketball team in its PIAA Class 4A first-round home game Wednesday evening against District 9 champion St. Marys.
The Knights, playing in the program’s first PIAA game, hit 15 3-pointers, including 10 in the first half, and took control early en route to a 65-35 victory over the Flying Dutch.
“When we played Montour (in the WPIAL quarterfinals), we thought that would be our last home game this season,” said Hattie McGraw, who led Knoch with six 3-pointers to finish with 18 points.
“To be able to come back to the place where we shoot thousands of shots all year, it was a very comfortable feeling. Everybody was in their comfort zone. We got off to a good pace, and we knew we just had to keep it going and not let them get comfortable.”
Knoch (22-3) moves on to the second round Saturday and will face District 3 champion Delone Catholic (27-1) at a site and time to be determined.
Delone defeated Montour, 58-25, on Wednesday night.
“This is the first time in states for us, and every win is a new first,” McGraw said. “We just have to keep that winning mindset and work hard to prepare for Saturday.”
Thirty of Knoch’s 36 points in the first half — it led St. Marys, 36-18, at the break — came from long range.
Knoch senior Maddie Boyer came into the game needing four points to reach 1,000 for her career.
She hit a 3-pointer with 49 seconds left in the first quarter and delivered the milestone points with a runner in the paint as the buzzer sounded to end the stanza.
Boyer was presented the game ball as the large contingent of Knoch students and other fans of the team applauded her efforts.
She connected on a trio of 3-pointers and finished with a game-best 22 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists.
“Getting the 1,000 points was definitely in the back of my mind,” Boyer said.
“Coach (Chris Andreassi) said that he hoped I would get it done in the first quarter so I could focus on the rest of the game. I was so happy that I was able to get it and get it at home. I thought of all the shots, the foul shots, the layups, everything. It was such an amazing feeling to share it with my coaches, teammates and everybody who have done so much to help me be where I am.”
Boyer is just the second player in program history to score 1,000 career points. Joyce Fennell, a 1974 Knoch grad, was the first to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
A plaque honoring the Knoch hall of famer lists her career points at 1,248.
Nevaeh Ewing, a 2021 grad, finished with close to 950 points, and Andreassi feels she would’ve surpassed the 1,000-point mark last year if not for the team being limited to 12 games because of covid issues.
Knoch played Wednesday’s game without junior do-everything point guard Nina Shaw, who sat out after suffering a knee injury in Saturday’s WPIAL title-game loss to Blackhawk.
Andreassi said Shaw hopes to be ready to return to the lineup against Delone.
Junior CeCe Kosecki got the start in Shaw’s place, and she gave Knoch its first three points of the game on a 3 at the top of the arc with 5:15 left in the first quarter.
Kosecki hit three 3-pointers in the first half and finished with nine points.
“Knoch did a lot of really good dribble penetration which created open shots, and they knocked them down,” said St. Marys coach Michael Franciscus, who saw his team cap its season at 18-7.
“They finished at the rim and knocked them down from outside. They ran their offense very well tonight. But we played hard and competed, and that was our goal tonight. Obviously, we were hoping for a better outcome, but, in general, we are really happy with the way we played tonight. We got to the state playoffs, and we will try to work very hard to get back here next year.”
Sophomore guard Jayssa Snelick, who scored 29 points against Clearfield in the District 9 title game, led the Flying Dutch with 15 points. Nine of her 15 came in the second quarter.
Knoch opened a 23-5 lead early in the second quarter on back-to-back treys from Kosecki. St. Mary’s countered with an 8-3 run to close the deficit to 13.
But the Knights had too much firepower, and their defense limited St. Mary’s offensive opportunities.
“I thought we did an excellent job of rotating to the help, and the whole defense was rotating down,” Andreassi said.
“There were a few times where Snelick got to the hoop and drew some fouls. Other than that, we played a pretty clean defensive game.”
Knoch led by 30 at the end of the third quarter, and that advantage triggered the mercy-rule running clock. The Knights began subbing early in the fourth, and Boyer and fellow seniors Mackenzie McGraw and Lily Hawk were given curtain calls during the final eight minutes.
“It was a pretty special night to play one final game on our home court and to play well,” Andreassi said. “It was the first (girls) state playoff game in school history, and I wanted them to understand this moment and how special it was and is. The big crowd made it even more special.”
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: Knoch
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