North Catholic swift with responses in 59-35 win over Knoch
CRANBERRY TWP — One step back, a few steps forward.
As was the case in both halves for North Catholic at home Monday night in a 59-35 WPIAL Section 1-4A girls hoops win over Knoch.
Following a bit of a slow offensive start, the Trojanettes built an eight-point lead after freshman Lauren Reitz’ bucket 1:43 into the second quarter. Then, the Knights’ Neah Ewing did her best to jump-start her team, knocking down two three-pointers in less than 20 seconds.
With 5:25 to go before the half, she took a pass from Naturelle Ewing and sank the first, then a North turnover afforded her the chance to swish another, from virtually the same place on the court.
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Knoch head coach Shane McGraw talks with his team during a timout on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Karlee Buterbaugh gets a high-five from Naturelle Ewing to start the second half on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Naturelle Ewing gets off a lay-up on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Brady Wehner dribbles by Knoch’s Naturelle Ewing on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Sarah Loughry knocks the ball loose from Knoch’s Lauren Bowser on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic head coach Molly Rottman talks with her team during a timeout on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Brady Wehner dribbles on the tight defense of Knoch’s Serenity Kosecki on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Adah Fuller dribbles against tight defense from North Catholic’s Anna Lazarra on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Sarah Loughry gets off a lay-up in traffic on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Adah Fuller protects the ball from North Catholic’s Sarah Loughry on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Adah Fuller protects the ball from North Catholic’s Sarah Loughry on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Lauren Mihm plays tight defense on Knoch’s Serenity Kosecki on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Anna Lazara goes up strong against Knoch’s Karlee Buterbaugh on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Alayna Rocco dribbles through the defense of Knoch’s Karlee Buterbaugh on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Adah Fuller dribbles by North Catholic’s Lauren Reitz on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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Knoch’s Karlee Buterbaugh backs down North Catholic’s Emma Shoemaker on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Alayna Rocco dribbles by Knoch’s Serenity Kosecki on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Lauren Mihm takes a three-pointer on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Sarah Loughry drives into the paint on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Anna Lazzara comes up with a steal on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
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North Catholic’s Brady Wehner shoots a lay-up on Monday, Jan. 15 at North Catholic High School. Kyle Prudhomme/Butler Eagle
North doused the surge after slowing things down with a timeout, embarking on an 11-0 run that made it 29-17.
“They start getting momentum and you get behind a little bit — obviously, it causes issues and puts you at a disadvantage,” Trojanettes coach Molly Rottmann said. “I think (it was) very important to make sure we counter-attack and we were taking care of the ball and taking good shots and coming back at them.”\
Freshman Anna Lazzara got things going with a basket off an offensive board on the first possession after North convened, then classmate Brady Wehner tacked on a trey less than a minute later and Lauren Mihm another after that.
With 44 seconds left until the midway point, Adah Fuller broke a Knoch (7-6, 3-3) scoring drought that lasted 4:15. The damage was done, however.
“It’s a little bit demoralizing when you get down early, claw back, but they’re pretty much relentless,” Knights coach Shane McGraw said.
The response got North rolling. Wehner finished with a game-high 21 points — including five three-pointers.
“It was really important because we had no energy in the beginning,” Wehner said. “We were in our heads too much. When we came back, we knew that we could still keep the game together and keep being us.”
It wasn’t just a matter of excitement. Rottmann noticed that her team was hurrying its tries early on.
“I just thought we were taking some quick shots that were not really good shots,” Rottmann said. “We’ve always talked about, ‘A press is successful, not just if it’s getting turnovers in the full-court or half-court, but if it’s causing you ... to rush your shots.”
Deja vu soon struck Knoch.
Ewing added to her total on consecutive possessions to open the scoring in the second half, getting the Knights back within five.
This time, it was senior standout Alayna Rocco that re-opened the gap — bucketing a pair of threes just over a minute apart — and Wehner added a basket to make it 37-24.
“We lost Rocco a couple times,” McGraw said. “She’s the best player around. The game plan was to know where she’s at on the floor at all times. Girls were getting tired, I could see that a little bit. ... No. 2 (Wehner) is a great shooter, as well.
“Maybe (we weren’t) as mentally tough as we need to be in some of those situations. To be able to play defense and to be able to concentrate — and they make you pay.”
After Ewing’s aforementioned latter make, Knoch went 4:28 without scoring. The Knights were limited to single-digits in three quarters on the night.
KNOCH 35
Neah Ewing 6 0-0 15, Adah Fuller 4 1-3 9, Karlee Buterbaugh 2 3-3 7, CeCe Kosecki 1 0-2 2, Naturelle Ewing 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16 4-8 35.
NORTH CATHOLIC 59
Brady Wehner 8 0-0 21, Alayna Rocco 5 3-4 17, Lauren Reitz 3 0-0 6, Sarah Loughry 2 0-2 4, Emma Shoemaker 2 0-0 4, Lauren Mihm 1 0-0 3, Anna Lazzara 1 0-2 2, Leah Larson 1 0-0 2. Totals: 23 3-8 59.
Knoch 6 13 7 9 — 35
N. Catholic 14 15 10 20 — 59
3-point goals: North Catholic 10 (Wehner 5, Rocco 4, Mihm); Knoch 3 (Ewing 3)
Thursday: Knoch at Deer Lakes, Highlands at North Catholic
