Norwin girls hope to find momentum in state tournament
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Tuesday, March 4, 2025 | 11:01 AM
Upper St. Clair’s Ekaterina Polstyanko fouls Norwin’s Elizabeth Yarosik during the Class 5A championship game Saturday at Petersen Events Center.
Norwin’s Alexis Heller (left) fouls Upper St. Clair’s Rylee Kalocay during the WPIAL Class 5A championship Saturday.
Though Norwin did not repeat as WPIAL champions, one could argue the Knights still have momentum going into the PIAA postseason.
They did, after all, rally from 13 down to take a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter against Upper St. Clair on Saturday in the Class 6A girls basketball championship at Pitt.
The Panthers had one last rally of their own, however, and won 45-40 to take their first title since 2008.
Norwin was seeking its fourth title and second set of back-to-back championships (2015, ’16).
In what many 6A coaches believed was a wide-open field, the top two seeds slugged it out to settle a winner.
No. 1 Norwin fell behind from the tip, trailing 23-10 late in the first half and 29-17 midway through the third. But Bella Furno and Ava Christopher keyed a rally with 3-pointers late in the third before a 9-0 run let the Knights take a 40-37 edge with 2 minutes, 30 seconds left in the fourth.
Christopher nailed a pull-up jumper, and Furno delivered her second 3 to put Norwin ahead.
“Our girls fought back. They have that championship mindset,” Norwin coach Brian Brozeski said. “There are a lot of ebbs and flows in basketball, ups and downs. It’s never too late to come back. I am proud of their effort.”
While the state playoffs are nothing new to Norwin (15-8) — the team made the PIAA semifinals two years ago and the quarterfinals last year — preparing for the PIAA bracket after a loss in the finals is different.
Brozeski was 3 for 3 in title games before Saturday’s loss.
“I haven’t experienced this myself,” he said.
Norwin will visit Altoona (23-2) at 7 p.m. Friday in the first round.
“I haven’t really thought about the next game,” Brozeski said after the title-game loss. “It’s still one game at a time. I know Altoona is very talented. They have guard play and can shoot it.”
Norwin had a cold shooting night — 4 for 14 in the first quarter, 30.4% shooting in the first half, no 3-pointers for the first 22-plus minutes of the game — but Brozeski said the team’s start was overshadowed by its play down the stretch.
“That was not something that was new to us,” he said. “We’ve come back from slow starts before and been fine. The girls looked comfortable.
“(The loss) is like a life lesson. It’s not always smooth.”
Furno doesn’t think Norwin will need much time to recharge.
“I don’t think it will be long,” Furno said. “We are ready to win the next and keep playing and working hard.”
Upper St. Clair coach Pete Serio said his team’s win was more impressive because it came against Norwin, a well-established program with pedigree and a reputation for winning.
“Brian is one of my favorite coaches in the WPIAL,” Serio said. “He is so respectful and genuine. He was so genuine when he congratulated me. Nothing but the best from him. That means a lot to me.”
Norwin has never won a state title in girls basketball.
Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.
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