Staying cool under pressure leads to playoff win for Fox Chapel boys

By: Josh Rizzo
Sunday, February 22, 2026 | 11:01 AM

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It was by no means a perfect performance when the Fox Chapel boys basketball team advanced out of the first round of the WPIAL Class 6A playoffs. What the Foxes were able to do is show their ability to keep a steady heartbeat during the wild swings that can accompany a high-pressure game.

Fox Chapel survived a 52-49 win over Norwin in which the Foxes trailed at halftime.

“I didn’t think there was ever any panic,” Skrinjar said. “It was stick to what we are doing, believe in what we are doing, if we put together some stops the offense will come.”

The Foxes had an opportunity to put that belief to the test in the quarterfinals against top-seeded Upper St. Clair on Feb. 19. If Fox Chapel could spring an upset, it would earn a spot in the PIAA playoffs.

The results of that game were too late for this edition.

In the first round, the Foxes saw a seven-point lead slip away and found themselves down by a point in the fourth quarter against Norwin. Nico Keteles put the Knights ahead with back-to-back 3-pointers with nearly four minutes remaining.

Fox Chapel fought back with a balanced offense that didn’t commit key turnovers. Joe McGivney scored 22 points for the Foxes, while Granton Fenton scored 18.

“I thought we were solid down the stretch and that’s something that we’ve really worked on,” Skrinjar said. “When it comes to end-of-game situations and ball possession, most of the time that’s what it comes down to in the playoffs. We worked a lot on that this week and it paid dividends.”

Norwin wasn’t afraid to attack Fox Chapel early. The Knights were able to rally behind King Carver and take a 28-27 lead into halftime. Carver scored 10 of his team-high 16 points in the first half.

“Norwin’s a good team and they got downhill a lot on us in the first half,” McGivney said. “Especially at halftime, coach Skrinjar was talking about stopping them from getting downhill because that’s where a majority of their points were coming from.”

The Foxes figured that out in the third quarter, limiting Norwin to six points to seize control. While the Knights rallied in the fourth quarter, Fox Chapel was able to find a way to win the game.

“We were looking to stay together,” McGivney said. “As long as we play together, I think we are a good team. If a double is coming, we come back to the ball. We did a good job down the stretch.”

Tags: Fox Chapel