Norwin watched the movie “Secretariat” this week for inspiration.
Then the host Lady Knights went out and turned their quarterfinal game into a one-horse race.
A monster second quarter Friday night propelled No. 2 seeded Norwin to a 57-42 victory over No. 7 Hempfield and its fourth straight semifinal appearance.
Norwin (18-4) will play No. 3 Upper St. Clair (12-11) on Tuesday for the right to return to the Petersen Events Center for the finals.
Norwin was the runner-up last year.
“Let them run, Ronnie,” Norwin sophomore Lenyn Brozeski said, quoting the movie. “(The movie) showed us to trust each other and run together.”
Brozeski set the pace in the second quarter as she made 5 of 6 3-pointers and scored 14 of her career-high 17 points. Norwin racked up 26 in the frame.
The proverbial zone welcomed Brozeski in and helped to pull Norwin out of an early funk.
“I never saw (Brozeski) shoot it like that,” said Hempfield coach Bob Madison, whose team’s season ends at 13-10. “Kudos to her. She shot it and shot it confidently. That’s what makes Norwin so dangerous: It’s pick your poison. Three times we played them (this season), and it’s been a different kid stepping up.”
Brozeski, whose previous high for points in a game was nine, said she felt like she was going to have a big night.
“I was locked in in warmups,” she said. “We started off slow and needed some points. That gave us confidence.”
Hempfield led 14-10 after the first quarter and built a five-point edge early in the second. But Brozeski’s first 3 led to three more in a row, two by Brozeski and another by Giuliana Giannikas.
“With the long layoff and the nature of the playoffs, scoring can be at a premium,” Norwin coach Brian Brozeski said. “That’s why it’s so important to not only find open shots but to hit them. Lenyn started staying after practice this week to work on her shot with (assistant) coach (Geoff) Helm. Coach Helm gave her some advice, and it paid off. Everyone was excited for her and tried to pass her the ball.”
Suddenly, a 17-12 hole was a 26-17 lead.
“I am proud of the way we responded,” Brian Brozeski said. “We focused on possession by possession.”
Brozeski and senior Ava Christopher connected on 3s to extend the advantage to 36-23 at the half.
In the third, Elizabeth Yarosik completed and three-point play, and sophomore Nia O’Barto hit a 3 and then scored on a drive to extend the lead to 46-25.
Hempfield could only get within 15 the rest of the way. The Spartans shot 6 of 20 from the free-throw line.
Yarosik finished with 10 points, and O’Barto had nine.
Senior Ava Shipman and sophomore Lilly Houghtalen had 14 each for Hempfield.
“Early on, it was like the second time we played them,” Madison said. “It had the feel of a dogfight. Our zone gave them problems, but they were still making shots when we went out of it. Our girls never quit. They battled and showed a lot of growth.”
Norwin has beaten Hempfield 20 straight times.
Hempfield is already looking to next year. The Spartans will not go into the consolation bracket because the PIAA takes only the top three finishers in 6A.
“We improved a lot from early in the year,” Madison said. “(Sophomore) Carina (Rimmel) and Lily have grown so much. (Junior) Reagan (Fisher) is coming back. We’re going to miss our seniors Ava and Gabby (Coccia).”
As for “Secretariat,” coach Brozeski said he likes to find ways to motivate his team at this time of the year.
“I am a sucker for sports movies,” he said. “I love the grit and grind. No one thought a horse could push the pace for that long.”
Norwin has been doing that for years and could have the horses to win another title.