Norwin girls earn emotional victory over North Allegheny, complete season sweep
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Thursday, January 25, 2024 | 11:05 PM
Norwin’s Averi Brozeski passes by the Knights’ bench after hitting a 3-pointer against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Lydia Betz scores against Norwin’s Ava Christopher on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Lauren Palangio battles North Allegheny’s Rae Shanahan for a loose ball on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Kendall Berger celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Kellie McConnell scores past Norwin’s Kendall Berger on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Grace Heliger (22) celebrates with Kellie McConnell after scoring against Norwin on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Averi Brozeski battles North Allegheny’s Kellie McConnell for a loose ball on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Caroline Henderson celebrates after scoring against Norwin on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Lauren Palangio prepares for the opening tip-off against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Lauren Palangio blocks a shot by North Allegheny’s Kellie McConnell on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Caroline Henderson blocks a shot by Norwin’s Ava Kobus on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny players celebrate a buzzer-beater shot by Cate Pingpank against Norwin on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Ava Christopher brings the ball upcourt against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Kendall Berger celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Lauren Palangio drives to the basket against North Allegheny’s Rae Shanahan on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Kendall Berger celebrates scoring against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Ava Kobus drives to the basket to score against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Lauren Palangio scores against North Allegheny’s Kellie McConnell on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Ava Christopher brings the ball upcourt against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Grace Heliger drives to the basket past Norwin’s Ava Christopher on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Ava Christopher drives to the basket against North Allegheny’s Lydia Betz on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Ava Christopher celebrates with Bailey Snowberger after scoring against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Averi Brozeski shoots a 3-pointer against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Averi Brozeski passes by the Knights’ bench after hitting a 3-pointer against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Lydia Betz scores against Norwin’s Ava Christopher on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Lauren Palangio battles North Allegheny’s Rae Shanahan for a loose ball on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Kendall Berger celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Kellie McConnell scores past Norwin’s Kendall Berger on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Grace Heliger (22) celebrates with Kellie McConnell after scoring against Norwin on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Averi Brozeski battles North Allegheny’s Kellie McConnell for a loose ball on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Caroline Henderson celebrates after scoring against Norwin on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Lauren Palangio prepares for the opening tip-off against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Lauren Palangio blocks a shot by North Allegheny’s Kellie McConnell on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny’s Caroline Henderson blocks a shot by Norwin’s Ava Kobus on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
North Allegheny players celebrate a buzzer-beater shot by Cate Pingpank against Norwin on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin’s Ava Christopher brings the ball upcourt against North Allegheny on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Norwin.
Norwin could have given the game ball to any number of players after an impressive 64-44 win over rival North Allegheny.
Junior Kendall Berger had 21 points and made 11 of 12 free throws Thursday night in North Huntingdon.
Sophomore Ava Christopher scored 10 and helped sustain a key fourth-quarter run in the Section 1 girls basketball showdown.
Senior forward Lauren Palangio was a menace in the middle with four blocks in the battle of top-five teams.
But after the victory, coach Brian Brozeski and the Knights chose to give the ball to Kathy Shaw, the grandmother of senior guard Ava Kobus, who scored eight points, including a pair of rainbow 3-pointers on another emotional night in what has been an emotional week.
Kobus’ grandfather, Robert Shaw, died Sunday.
The man who earned a Purple Heart in Vietnam was 75.
“People kept saying I almost hit the rafters,” Kobus said. “Maybe he threw it in for me.”
Sophomore Alexa Kobus is a reserve guard for the Knights. Their family was in attendance to enjoy the victory.
“He was at every game this year,” Ava Kobus said. “He loved watching us. He was always here, up until he fell. It was his life. He would have loved this tonight.
“That was a pretty special moment for my grandma.”
And it was a special night for No. 2 Norwin (14-3, 6-0), which has won five in a row after sweeping No. 3 and defending WPIAL champion North Allegheny (14-2, 4-2) for the first time since the teams became section opponents in 2018-19.
North Allegheny had won eight in a row.
“Tonight was all about family,” Brozeski said. “That was the message. The Kobus girls lost their pap, and we wanted her family to know how much we care. You talk about how pro athletes respond to off-court issues. Ava was terrific. Those girls pushed through some hard times.”
The Kobus sisters attended the viewing Tuesday and the funeral Wednesday.
“Coach said we could miss practice, but we wanted to be there,” Ava Kobus said. “Pap would have wanted us to play.”
Norwin and North Allegheny split four games last year, with North Allegheny winning in the WPIAL semifinals, and Norwin returning the favor in the PIAA quarterfinals.
A decisive run early in the fourth allowed Norwin to take control for good. The Knights outscored North Allegheny, 22-9, over the final eight minutes.
With the Tigers within seven, Kobus made a 3, Palangio scored inside off the glass, Berger made a 3 and Christopher completed a three-point play for an 11-0 spurt that put the Knights ahead 53-35 with 6:20 remaining.
“It always feels great to beat NA,” Berger said. “It was a great atmosphere tonight.”
Berger’s second 3 stretched the advantage to 58-39 with 3:44 to go.
“We were mentally there from the beginning,” Ava Kobus said. “We made adjustments when we had to and were there for all four quarters.”
The Knights’ defense forced North Allegheny to take hurried shots as the Tigers tried to come back.
“They were better than us,” North Allegheny coach Spencer Stefko said. “We played hard enough, but it wasn’t good enough. That’s on me. Give Norwin credit. They share the ball and they have an identity.
“As of right now, Jan. 25, they are the best team in 6A.”
Brozeski said he didn’t realize Norwin was up that big in the fourth.
After all, North Allegheny had a big fourth quarter earlier in the season when Norwin won in McCandless for the first time since 2016 with a 47-42 victory.
“I have kind of an out-of-body experience when I coach,” Brozeski said. “It wasn’t until my assistant (Joe Oestreich) tugged on my pant leg and said we should (put in the reserves) that I felt comfortable. I have been on the other end of weird losses.”
Norwin took a 25-16 lead in the second quarter on a 3-pointer from senior point guard Bailey Snowberger.
Senior guard Caroline Henderson scored 10 of her team-high 17 points in the second to get the Tigers within 30-22 at the half.
Kobus nailed a 3 with 4:11 left in the third to make it 39-25.
Norwin scored the first 10 points of the night, catching an early spark from Christopher.
The Tigers used a 10-0 run to it 12-12 before Norwin began to create distance.
Palangio and junior Averi Brozeski each scored nine. Junior Lydia Betz added 10 points for the Tigers.
Keeping with the “family” theme in its annual charity game, Norwin (and North Allegheny) wore powder-blue T-shirts to recognize Marge and Mabel, the grandmothers of Berger and Snowberger who are battling dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, respectively.
Proceeds from raffles and a halftime contest will go to the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at UPMC Montifiore.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
Tags: North Allegheny, Norwin
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