Battle-tested Norwin girls roll past Hempfield

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Monday, January 8, 2024 | 10:02 PM

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Norwin has yet to lose to a WPIAL team this girls basketball season. Eight up, eight down.

But no matter how much potential the Knights have, this collection of talent is a work in progress.

A nonsection schedule that is as thorny as it is taxing has kept them sharp for section play, which was evident Monday night when the second-ranked Knights made light work of host Hempfield in a 61-23 rout in Section 1-6A.

Norwin (10-3, 3-0) was coming off a 52-51 loss to West Virginia power Wheeling Park on Saturday.

The Knights now have section wins over previously undefeated and top-ranked North Allegheny along with Butler and Hempfield — the ones that count.

“We need to put in a complete effort and keep feeling the pressure of situations to help us in the big games later,” senior guard Ava Kobus said.

Lessons learned from three losses to non-WPIAL teams are preparing burgeoning Norwin for a run at the section and another fulfilling postseason. The team made the WPIAL and PIAA semifinals last year.

“Each game brought something different to the table,” Norwin coach Brian Brozeski said of this year’s losses. “I wouldn’t say there was anything consistent that we didn’t do well in those game. We played three high-caliber teams.

“We knew those games would be tight throughout. We were down at times, and they we came back and tied it or took the lead. Basketball is a game of runs. You never know when yours is going to happen.”

Norwin’s other losses are to perennial District 1 playoff team Spring-Ford (51-46) and District 10 title contender Kennedy Catholic (51-50), the returning PIAA champion.

The Knights trailed by double digits against Spring-Ford before tightening the gap and were behind by eight against Kennedy Catholic.

“But we kept playing and kept competing,” Brozeski said. “When you play four games in seven days, there isn’t much time to reflect. You can’t mope after a loss or get too high after a loss. Now maybe we can take a couple deep breaths. We’re seeing growth. We’re growing, and it isn’t getting stale or stagnant in practice.”

Senior forward Lauren Palangio had 17 points and eight rebounds in the latest win, which saw Norwin take a 22-3 lead after one quarter and a 42-10 lead at the half, and instill a running clock in the second half.

“We’re looking for a consistent four quarters,” Brozeski said. “If we start slow, that means we had a bad first quarter.”

Junior guard Kendall Berger, who was fouled on a half-court shot at the final buzzer against Kennedy Catholic and made 1 of 3 free throws with no time left, said the key to Norwin’s success is attention to detail.

She also thinks Norwin can do a better job of setting the tone early.

“We all have roles, and we all fit those roles,” said Berger, who had 14 points against Hempfield. “When we lose to good teams, we calm down and look at what we can do better. I think we can communicate better; that is something that can help us. And we have had some slow starts.”

This game wasn’t one of them. While the Knights did have a half-dozen turnovers early, they more than made up for it on the defensive end, jamming the lane and forcing the Spartans to rush outside shots.

Palangio feasted in the paint, and Berger and Kobus were clingy on defense, allowing the Lady Knights to force transition.

It was a long night for Hempfield (7-6, 0-3), which dropped its third game in a row after a two-game winning streak. Senior Ashley Hosni led the Spartans with 12 points.

Kobus and junior reserve forward Alexis Heller each scored eight for Norwin.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Norwin