Shaler girls basketball coach Tony Grenek isn’t expecting to receive any sympathy cards in the mail for having to adjust his lineup due to injuries. The Titans aren’t planning on waving any white towels either.
Shaler took a major hit to its lineup when it lost Reese Smetanka to an injury. Still, the Titans picked up an important win Jan. 13 against Franklin Regional.
The Titans, who had lost four of their previous games before playing the Panthers, knocked off Franklin Regional, 60-56 in overtime. Shaler (10-5, 5-2) has maintained its spot toward the top of Section 1-5A.
“It’s been tough, but by the same token, I’m sure nobody’s feeling sorry for us,” Grenek said after Shaler lost 49-31 to Fox Chapel on Jan. 9. “I know a lot of the coaches are feeling bad for Reese because she’s such a great kid. Injuries happen in basketball. We’re a young team, and we need to find a way to play without her right now.”
Against Franklin Regional, the young Titans showed they have the capacity to play with plenty of balance. Olivia Gieraltowski finished with a team-high 16 points, Emily Berger added 13 and Etta Warner had 10.
Franklin Regional led 25-24 at halftime, but the Titans were able to force overtime by outscoring the Panthers 13-10 in the fourth quarter.
Shaler had struggled to handle the ball during its previous game with Fox Chapel. The Foxes played an aggressive style that looks to create as many steals as possible.
“I actually said to coach (Marty) Matvey before the game, ‘If my game plan doesn’t work tonight, we’re going to scrap game plans and try to play like they do,’” Grenek said. “They use a lot of bodies and traps and try to score points off turnovers that we can cause hopefully.”
Shaler opened the season by winning seven of its first eight games. The Titans were the defending section champions and looked like they had an opportunity to do so again. Shaler hit a bump in the road with a road section loss to Penn Hills that kicked off a three-game losing streak.
Grenek said the Titans’ wins early in the season don’t provide him with much solace now.
“I’m trying to take it one day at a time,” Grenek said. “I’m hoping we can win another game this year. Now, hopefully, it’s the next game. We need to stay positive with this group because we’re so young and inexperienced.”
Shaler is hoping that the ninth graders can grow up fast. Picking up a win over Franklin Regional should supercharge the Titans’ confidence.
The section crown is up for grabs.
“It’s going to take some time, and we’re going to have to start using some of the ninth grade bodies when we play,” Grenek said. “We’re going to be young, but it’s going to give them good experience.”