Norwin girls basketball uses fast pace to defeat Pine-Richland

By: HSSN Staff
Thursday, December 13, 2018 | 9:51 PM

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When Norwin turned up the pressure, everything changed, including Pine-Richland’s hopes of winning.

It was a close girls basketball game in the opening minutes, but No. 4 Norwin turned its Section 1-6A opener into a rout when it kicked up the tempo and blew past the Rams, 75-40, on Thursday night in North Huntingdon.

Norwin’s face-guarding defense made for a perilous second quarter for Pine-Richland (1-3, 0-1), especially early, when a double-digit scoring run turned the tide.

The Knights (4-0, 1-0) led 13-11 after the first quarter, but coach Brian Brozeski flipped a switch and Norwin pounced with nonstop pressure that disarmed the Rams. As a result, Norwin rattled off 16 straight points and outscored the visitors 24-5 in the quarter to coast into halftime with a 21-point advantage.

Pine-Richland had no answer.

“It was nice to get some steals that turned into run-outs,” Brozeski said. “Our defense initiated the pace. That pressure played to our advantage.”

In keeping with tradition, Brozeski used wholesale lineup changes so his rotation stayed fresh. Twelve players found the scoring column, led by senior forward Emily Brozeski with 14 points. Senior guard Jessica Kolesar and sophomore guard Mara Polczynski had 10 apiece.

Emily Brozeski provided the dramatic winning score in the Knights’ recent 63-61 overtime win over Blackhawk. Again, pressure led to a late steal and the decisive hoop just before the final horn.

“Our mindset is always to go after it,” said Emily Brozeski, the coach’s niece who scored 10 in the first half. “I think we play better sometimes when there is chaos. It gives us more confidence.”

Junior guards Jayla Wehner and Olivia Gribble and sophomore guard Mackenzie Yaniga hit 3-pointers in the second quarter, Yaniga’s just before the buzzer.

Polczynski connected on two 3s in the third as the Knights pushed the margin to 31 heading to the fourth.

“Everyone, from the girls in the game and those on the bench, was engaged tonight,” Brian Brozeski said. “They all played a part in the win.”

The Knights commenced a running clock when the lead swelled to 35 early in the fourth on a pair of free throws by junior Margaret Edwards.

Senior Kendall Gessner led Pine-Richland with a game-high 18 points, and freshman Christina Yarbrough added nine.

“We didn’t want to look past (Pine-Richland),” Emily Brozeski said. “Our motto is, ‘Everyone is 0-0.’ We’re just the same as they are. But we know we can win if we play how we can play.”

And that is fast.

Bill Beckner is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bill at bbeckner@tribweb.com or via Twitter @BillBeckner.

Tags: Norwin, Pine-Richland