Karlee Buterbaugh’s dominant double-double powers Knoch girls basketball to rout of Derry
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Knoch's Karlee Buterbaugh (12) shoots the ball against Derry Area in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch's Karlee Buterbaugh (12) shoots at the foul line against Derry Area in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch's Aubrey Spencer (23) drives the ball down court in against Derry Area a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch's Karlee Buterbaugh (12) takes a hook shot against Derry Area in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch's Aubrey Spencer (23) tries to find an open lane against a Derry Area defender in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch's Karlee Buterbaugh (12) is fouled as she shoots by a Derry Area defender in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch Cheerleaders performing during halftime at the girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch Cheerleaders pose for a picture before their performance during the girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch's Jada Burgard (2) makes a shot in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch's Neah Ewing (11) looks for an opening in a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch Mini-Cheer Camp member Sophia Shoop performing at halftime during a girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch's Mini-Cheer Camp Team waiting to perform at halftime during the girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
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Knoch Mini-Cheer Camp member and Knoch Cheerleader pose for a picture before performing during halftime at the girls basketball game Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, at Knoch High School. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle
JEFFERSON TWP — The opponent doesn’t matter — only the effort.
Knoch senior Karlee Buterbaugh’s message rang loud and clear following the Knights’ 44-24 WPIAL Section 1-4A girls basketball victory at home over a young Derry Area squad Thursday night.
Buterbaugh tallied 17 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists before retiring to the bench early in the fourth quarter. Knoch (10-9, 9-3) had a 42-24 lead when coach Shane McGraw emptied the bench with 5:50 left in the game.
Derry (4-14, 1-11) started three freshmen and a sophomore. The Trojans have only one senior on their roster.
Buterbaugh didn’t care.
“Absolutely not,” she responded when asked if she felt she could put forth a dominant effort based on the matchup Thursday night. “Who we’re playing or what their situation is has nothing to do with it. We concern ourselves with our effort as a team.”
And that effort starts with defense.
“We didn’t have a good night shooting the ball, but that’s gonna happen,” Buterbaugh said. “Some nights, the shots just don’t fall, but we were still working our butts off on defense. Defense is always there.”
Derry had 27 turnovers on the night. The Trojans had 19 turnovers and only 13 field goal attempts in the first half. The Knights had a 22-8 lead at intermission.
“Karlee’s intensity and approach to the game sets the tone for our team,” McGraw said. “She’s such an unselfish player who does a lot of things for us. She can handle the point and set her teammates up with shots. She goes underneath and handles the boards.
“As coaches, we try to get her to take her own shot more. All she wants to do is win. Everybody follows her lead.”
Aubrey Spencer, a sophomore, left the floor briefly with a bloodied nose in the first half. She returned to the game and wound up with eight points, four rebounds and three steals. Lydia Pinkerton had five rebounds off the bench as the Knights enjoyed a 37-22 advantage on the boards.
Jane Huss, the lone senior on Derry’s squad, was the only Trojan to score a point in the first three quarters. She finished the contest with 19 points, five steals and three rebounds. Trinity Miller, a freshman, led Derry with six boards.
“Jane is an excellent role model because she never stops playing hard,” first-year Derry coach Nate Keller said. “She’s the only girl on our roster who played any varsity ball before this year.
“Our freshmen made the jump from middle school basketball to varsity. They’re still catching up to the speed of the game. It’s been different for them. We’re building and we’re getting better.”
Derry has not been to the WPIAL playoffs since 2018 and don’t have a junior varsity team. Knoch is firmly in third place in Section 1-4A, trailing Oakland Catholic and North Catholic. The Knights travel to North Catholic on Tuesday.
“They just lost to Oakland Catholic, so they’ll be primed and ready for us,” McGraw said. “That’s a big one for us. We’re going to have to be on top of our game.”
DERRY AREA 24
Trinity Miller 0-3 1-2 1, Marie Razpotnik 0-0 0-0-0 0, Peyton Thomas 0-1 0-0 0, Monica Tavares 0-1 0-0 0, Lydia Harter 1-2 0-0 2, Kylee Metzger 0-4 0-0 0, Lucie Loucks 1-6 0-0 2, Jane Huss 7-15 5-9 19. Totals: 9-32 6-11 24.
KNOCH 44
Jada Burgard 2-3 0-0 5, Liv Foster 2-5 0-0 4, Neah Ewing 0-12 2-2 2, Karlee Buterbaugh 6-15 5-6 17, Aubrey Spencer 4-7 0-2 8, Jocelyn Szebalskie 0-0 0-0 0, Sadie Hawk 1-2 3-4 6, Sadie McGraw 0-1 0-0 0, Navee Ewing 0-1 0-0 0, Olivia Hawk 1-2 0-0 2. Totals: 16-48 10-14 44.
Derry Area 2 6 5 11 — 24
Knoch 10 12 16 6 — 44
3-point goals: Derry Area 0, Knoch 2 (Burgard, S. Hawk)
Tuesday: Knoch at North Catholic
