Norwin boys let their play do the talking in important victory over Hempfield

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Thursday, January 30, 2025 | 10:31 PM

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Norwin is talking the talk.

Knights first-year boys basketball coach Cam Auld has a computer spinner wheel with his players’ names on it.

When he gives it a flick and the arrow lands on a name, that player has to give the next pregame speech.

It was Alex Graney’s turn Thursday night for a critical Section 2-6A game at Hempfield — a game that had been postponed twice — and Graney and the Knights let their voices be heard and their play do the talking in a 61-56 victory that moved them closer to their first WPIAL playoff spot since 2021-22.

“I talked about how important this game was,” Graney said. “I told them not to worry. We’re going to get the job done.

“Tonight was us being us. We trusted each other to get the job done.”

Said Auld: “What Graney said almost brought me to tears.”

Balanced offense, ball movement, sharing of the basketball and help defense allowed Norwin to stay in front against a team it will see twice in nine days.

Graney scored 14 points, Chris McKnight added 12 and Mario Csukas made three 3-pointers and chipped in 11 as Norwin (9-9, 5-6) snapped a three-game losing streak and held on to fifth place in the section.

The top five teams make the playoffs.

Hempfield (8-10, 3-8), in sixth place at the moment and still recovering from the in-season investigation and resignation of head coach Bill Swan, has dropped five of six.

Despite a valiant effort against Imani Christian earlier in the week — a 63-61 loss in overtime — the Spartans couldn’t maintain their slim halftime lead against the Knights.

After scoring 23 points in the first two quarters combined, Norwin racked up 23 in the third to build a 46-36 advantage.

“We can be one of the best teams in 6A if we communicate,” Auld said. “That is something new to the kids. People don’t talk enough about how important talking is. Talking more makes us so much better.”

Trevor Donsen scored five straight points for Hempfield to close the gap to 46-41 after three, and it looked like Hempfield was going to make a late move.

Max Williams, the Spartans’ 6-foot-7 forward, scored six straight to open the fourth and pulled Hempfield within 48-47 with 4:12 to play.

But Graney made a turnaround jumper, Csukas buried a 3 and Dom Kantz scored on a backdoor layup to stretch the advantage back to double figures at 57-47.

Norwin kept Williams quiet down the stretch. He finished with a game-high 16 points but was held scoreless for the final four minutes.

“All the credit goes to Norwin,” Hempfield interim coach Mark Katarski said. “They made Max earn his points.

“Norwin made, I think, 7 of 21 3s. We were hoping to hold them to 15 or less. I thought we were prepared. Our guys have battled and played incredibly hard.”

It was an 11-point lead after Kantz banked in another easy shot to make it 59-48 with just under a minute remaining.

Donsen strung together another five-point run, including a 3 to make it 59-53 with 15 seconds left.

McKnight made a pair of free throws before Danny Husenits drained a late 3 for the final points.

Husenits finished with 15, Donsen had 10 and Drew Gordon scored eight. Dylan Firmstone did not play for Hempfield.

“For us, it’s about regaining a belief,” Auld said. “One day at a time.”

Hempfield led 13-10 after the first quarter.

The lead never got above five in the first half, and Stefano Giannikas banked in a buzzer-beating 3 to get the Knights to within 25-23 at the half.

Nate Kuch had eight points for Norwin.

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

Tags: Hempfield, Norwin