Attention to details cost Knoch boys basketball in season-opening loss to Moon
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Knoch's Zane Pacek (44) sinks a free throw in a boys basketball game against Moon on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Geneva College. Chris Leisie/Butler Eagle
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Knoch's Derek Lang (2) drives to the rim against Moon a boys basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Geneva College. Chris Leisie/Butler Eagle
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Knock and Moon players wrestle for possession of the ball in a boys basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Geneva College. Chris Leisie/Butler Eagle
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Knock's Jackson Bauman (3) tries to flip in a basket against Moon in a boys basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Geneva College. Chris Leisie/Butler Eagle
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Jackson Bauman (3) goes up with the ball against Moon in a boys basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Geneva College. Chris L:eisie/Butler Eagle
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Knock's Jack McCool (0) drives to the rim against Moon in a boys basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Geneva College. Chris Leisie/Butler Eagle
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Knoch coach Alan Bauman (left) protests a call while playing Moon in a boys basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Geneva College. Chris Leisie/Butler Eagle
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Knock's Jackson Bauman (3) goes up for the ball against Moon in a boys basketball game Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Geneva College. Chris Leisie/Butler Eagle
BEAVER FALLS, Beaver County — For nearly 20 minutes after Saturday’s season-opening loss to Moon, Knoch boys basketball players held a team meeting.
The Knights had fallen 63-56 at Geneva College against a tough opponent. But the way they lost — allowing Moon to shoot 21 of 39 from the field while creating almost any look they wanted, and also battling foul trouble — did not sit well with them.
So the coaches left the locker room, and the players talked.
Details matter. That was the message from players and head coach Alan Bauman. If the Knights, who return four of five starters from last season’s team that went 15-11 (7-3 section) and made the WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals, are to perform at the level they expect, they will need to focus on the details from practice and scouting through execution during the game.
“No panic at all,” Jackson Bauman said about the meeting. “This is what we needed, we needed this. This is a wake-up call for us.”
Added Teegan Finucan: “We’re definitely better than what we just showed. I think that meeting was very important as a team; we gotta expect more out of our leaders and us four juniors, we gotta be better.”
Bauman and Finucan led Knoch with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Bauman added eight rebounds, unofficially, and Finucan scored all his points in the second half after being forced to sit with foul trouble most of the opening 16 minutes.
The offense was the closest thing to a bright spot. Knoch shot 20 of 43, and Derek Lang and Zane Pacek also reached 10 points. Pacek, who also added three rebounds, impressed his coach despite some second-half foul trouble.
“I thought Zane Pacek is just getting better and better,” Alan Bauman said. “For the most part, Zane looks really good, he’s moving well and we need to continue to feed the big fella.”
But the Knights’ defense was carved up all night, and that was the difference. Mike Scanticola set the tone with a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers and finished with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists.
Amir Turner (13 points), Braden Stewart (12) and Carter Tumulty (12) also reached double figures.
The Tigers got to the line 23 times and made 17 of them.
Knoch almost made things interesting late. Jackson Bauman hit a 3 with 2:55 left to make it 55-47 Mars, then made another with 37.3 seconds left to cut the deficit to 59-56. But Knoch did not get the final stop it needed, and Turner made two free throws to make it 61-56 and seal the victory.
“We opened up with a great team,” Alan Bauman said of Moon. “We want to test ourselves, so we’re finding out what and who we are and what we need to be. We have to become better attention to detail. I thought that killed us throughout the night tonight.”
Knoch hosts Shady Side Academy in its home opener at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
KNOCH 56
Derek Lang 3 2-2 10, Jackson Bauman 6 2-3 15, Teegan Finucan 5 0-0 13, Liam Avon 0 0-0 0, Zane Pacek 3 4-4 10, Brody Bauman 0 1-2 1, Vinnie DeFelice 1 0-0 2, Jack McCool 0 0-0 0, Roman DeFelice 2 0-0 5. Totals: 20 9-11 56.
MOON 63
Mike Scanticola 6 2-4 17, Amir Turner 4 5-5 13, Caleb Waclowski 0 3-4 3, Braden Stewart 4 4-5 12, Caden Copay 2 1-2 6, Carter Tumulty 5 2-3 12, AJ Buford 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 17-23 63.
3-point goals: Knoch 7 (Finucan 3, Lang 2, Bauman, R. DeFelice); Moon 4 (Scanticola 3, Copay).
Tuesday: Shady Side Academy at Knoch.
