Raiders handled by Knights
JACKSON TWP — Seneca Valley looked good in spurts Monday night, but spurts don’t cut it against a team as good as Norwin.
The Knights improved to 10-0 against WPIAL foes with a 46-35 win over the host Raiders, holding SV to no more than 10 points in any quarter.
The Raiders made just 29 percent (10 of 34) of their field goal attempts and 17 turnovers made it difficult to sustain momentum.
“Defensively, to hold Norwin to (46 points), I thought we did well on that end,” said SV coach Dorothea Epps. “But we just couldn’t score enough. We need to do a better job of scoring in our halfcourt offense.
“Norwin is very disciplined and smart on defense. They’re seasoned and they play well together.”
Gracie Cato hit a trey that beat the first-quarter buzzer, putting the Raiders up 10-8. Emerson Peffer hit another 3-pointer with three seconds left in the first half, cutting Norwin’s halftime lead to just 20-18. But SV managed just four field goals in the second half.
SV’s Natalie Hambly tied the score at 20 with a pair of free throws early in the third, but the Knights took the lead for good moments later with Lauren Palangio’s 2-for-2 at the line.
Norwin (12-3, 5-0) led 35-28 entering the fourth quarter and turnovers helped push the edge to double digits, initially when Bailey Snowberger drained a trey for a 42-31 lead with 4:46 left in the game.
A number of SV turnovers came in the halfcourt after extended possessions when the Raiders could not drive the lane or get an open shot on the outside.
“It’s a fine line,” said Norwin coach Brian Brozeski. “You want to move the ball offensively, but at the same time, the longer you work the ball around, the better chance there is of turning the ball over.
“Seneca Valley has the ability to score inside and outside, but we told our girls that there was no need to gamble (on defense), just have confidence in our system and work with each other.”
Hambly led all scorers with 15 points and Cato netted 12, all in the first half.
Palangio paced the Knights with 12 points and Kendall Berger scored 11.
After winning 10 straight games, SV (10-4, 3-2) has dropped back-to-back section contests to North Allegheny and Norwin. The Raiders take a break from section play and will travel to Bishop Canevin on Thursday and Armstrong on Saturday. The second half of their section slate begins Jan. 25 at home against Seneca Valley.
NORWIN 46
Bailey Snowberger 2 2-2 7, Kendall Berger 5 1-1 11, Ava Kobus 3 1-2 8, Ava Christopher 2 1-2 5, Lauren Palangio 5 2-2 12, Averi Brozeski 1 0-0 3, Bella Furno 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18 7-9 46.
SENECA VALLEY 35
Makayla Canty 1 0-0 3, Natalie Hambly 3 6-6 15, Gracie Cato 4 2-3 12, Emerson Peffer 2 0-2 5, Brooke Dufford 0 0-0 0, Allison Sevin 0 0-0 0, Kaydence Kilhof 0 0-0 0, Lilliana Hudac 0 0-0 0, Regan Gallagher 0 0-0 0, Lilly Sperry 0 0-0 0, Legacy Joseph-Short 0 0-0 0. Totals: 10 8-11 35.
Norwin 8 12 15 11 — 46
Seneca Valley 10 8 10 7 — 35
3-point goals: Norwin 3 (Kobus, Snowberger, Brozeski); Seneca Valley 7 (Hambly 3, Cato 2, Canty, Peffer).
Thursday: Seneca Valley at Bishop Canevin
