As easy as Knoch senior guard Teegan Finucan made it look Wednesday night, it seemed like he had the answers to the test.
As it turns out, he was well prepared for whatever Central Valley planned to throw at him in a WPIAL Class 4A quarterfinals matchup at North Allegheny High School.
“Coach Lafko knew what was coming. Everyone on the scout team did a good job of helping me prepare for what was coming,” Finucan said. “It was just the repetitions I got in practice.”
Finucan scored 22 points and sank three 3-pointers to power No. 3 Knoch (20-4) to a 57-24 victory over No. 6 Central Valley (16-8).
Asked if he was nervous, Finucan brushed it off: “I usually try to stay as calm as possible. I feel like everyone is at their best when they’re nervous, but I felt good.”
Said Knoch coach Joe Lafko: “Teegan’s a really good basketball player, has been a leader for us all year. He’s playing at a high level right now and shooting the ball very well. It’s a credit to his work ethic and the skill sets he has.”
Roman DeFelice added 11 points, and Vinnie DeFelice finished with 10 for the Knights.
The teams traded baskets to start, with Knoch building an 11-10 lead. Finucan led the way with six points for the Knights.
“We knew they were going to punch us, and we just weathered that storm,” Finucan said. “In our last playoff game, East Allegheny opened the game 5-0 on us. It’s expected that you’ll be down. It’s all about how you respond.”
Central Valley’s Adam Shroads cut the lead to one with an isolation drive to the top of the key and buried the jumper with a hand in his face.
Despite five turnovers, the Warriors were still in a game that looked like it would be a spirited affair throughout. But the combination of continued sloppy play by Central Valley and a smothering Knoch defense led to the Knights grabbing command in the second quarter and never letting go.
“Knoch’s really long, athletic and well coached,” Central Valley coach Brandon Ambrose said. “We didn’t get a whole lot of shots, and they played well defensively. We knew that from the film we saw, but they were just a lot better in person.”
Knoch opened the second quarter on a 12-0 run, which included 3s from Finucan and Roman DeFelice. The Knights’ run lasted until the 2-minute, 45-second mark of the quarter.
“We played awesome defensively,” Lafko said. “I give our kids so much credit. They matched the physicality that Central Valley brings. We were able to stop dribble penetration and the easier baskets we gave up in the first quarter.”
Knoch’s defense upped the pressure throughout, forcing the Warriors into 15 total turnovers. Vinnie DeFelice led the Knights with four steals. The Knights only had five total turnovers.
Wyatt Clark put an end to the run for the Warriors with a three pointer to make it 23-13 Knoch. The Knights added a layup from Derek Lang and a jumper from Finucan, who had 14 of his points at half, and the Knights led 27-15.
Central Valley had problems getting anything going in the halfcourt as Knoch’s 2-3 zone defense did a solid job of keeping the ball on the perimeter and not allowing the Warriors penetration into the paint.
“Our boys did a good job in that zone,” Lafko said. “We were able to defend passing lanes and collapse on dribble penetration. Those two factors right there created those turnovers for us.”
The Knights continued their command of the scoreboard with a 11-0 run that lasted halfway through the third quarter.
Once again, it was Shroads for the Warriors who put a stop to the bleeding with a 3.
The Knights went on another run, this time an 8-0 streak, to pad their lead to 46-18. Parker Lewchenko nailed a 3, but it was nullified when Finucan hit his third 3 of the game to give Knoch a 49-21 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Knoch’s Vinnie DeFelice opened the fourth quarter with a layup, which initiated the mercy-rule clock. He scored four more points, and Roman DeFelice added a bucket as Knoch and Central Valley put in their reserves.
After scoring five field goals in the first quarter, Central Valley went the rest of the game making just four.
“We’re a top three team defensively, and we take a lot of pride in that,” Finucan said. “We knew they had a couple of guys that could shoot, and we limited that.”
Said Ambrose: “I wasn’t thrilled with our pace on offense, our ball movement and the way we attacked their zone. I was looking for a shift in how we played, and it just never came.”
Senior Adam Shroads led the Warriors with six points. No other player had more than four for Central Valley.
The Warriors still qualified for a play-in game for the state tournament.
“This is a really good group of kids,” Ambrose said. “We weren’t perfect, we lost some games and tonight wasn’t perfect at all, but these are some great kids, who are going to be successful in whatever they do in life.”
Knoch advances to the semifinals Saturday against the winner of No. 2 North Catholic and No. 7 Elizabeth Forward at a site and time to be determined. The Knights also qualify for the PIAA state tournament.
“I’m proud of this team,” Lafko said. “We’re going to celebrate this night and go to work when we see who we play next.”