Girls Basketball Season Recap
Norwin Girls Basketball ready to get back on the court after a time out.
The Norwin Lady Knights basketball team caps off a successful season with a heartbreaking loss in the WPIAL playoffs to Bethel Park at the Castle. They were expected to make a deep playoff run and were disappointed with a first round loss, which disqualified them from the state playoff. All of the teams that make it to the quarterfinals in the WPIAL playoffs for class 6-A make it to the state tournament.
The Lady Knights were once again laced with injuries again this year near the end of the season. Savannah Schneck was a key player taken out of the game early in the season with a season ending knee injury. However, sophomore Lauren Palangio missed a game with a shoulder injury, and senior Chloe Lukondi was taken out of a few games near the end of the season with an ankle injury. Injuries are something the Lady Knights seem to struggle with at the end of every season.
The Lady Knights were awarded the 4th seed in the playoff bracket; they were scheduled to play the Bethel Park Blackhawks on Wednesday, February 23. At halftime they were up 20-11 after playing a great first half with only very few turnovers. However, after a rough 3rd quarter they were not able to hold onto the lead and ended up losing 36-42.
“I was disappointed by the end of the season,” said Coach Oestreich. “I felt that we had a team that could beat anyone and compete for a WPIAL championship.”
Even though the Lady Knights will not be able to continue their run in the playoffs, they will have some good moments to look back on from this season. The Lady Knights beat the number 1 team in the state, North Allegheny, by 25 points earlier in the season. The Lady Knights finished with a record of 15-7, and they took a team trip to Washington D.C in December.
“Being able to create bonds with all of the girls on and off the court was one of the best parts of playing this season,” said freshman Kendall Berger.
“My favorite part was watching the entire team grow as a unit,” said Coach Oestreich. “We improved so much from summer league until the end of the year. The best memory was the North Allegheny game, but watching us compete against the toughest teams from every level was enjoyable every night.”
As this season has come to a close the seniors on the team: Brianna Zajicek, Alyssa Laukus, Maggie Race, and Chloe Lukondi will be looking ahead to the future. Brianna Zajicek will be going to Anderson Broaddus University to play division II basketball. Alyssa Laukus will attend Chatham University to play basketball at the division III level. Maggie Race will be attending Penn State and Chloe Lukondi plans to go to Pitt Greensburg.
“I am planning to attend Penn State University to study Business,” said senior Maggie Race. “I am really looking forward to a different environment and meeting new people.”
In preparation for next season one starter will be returning, Lauren Palangio. She is the only starter to return however there are some other players with experience that will be returning next year. Kate Botti, Ava Kobus, Bailey Snowberger, and Kendall Berger all saw some significant minutes this season and in the playoffs.
“I am looking forward to growing as a basketball player myself and as a team,” said sophomore Lauren Palangio. “I think we have a lot of potential and if we work at it I’m excited to see what we can do next season.”
Alyssa is a first year writer for the Knight Krier and a senior at Norwin High School. She is also a participant on the Norwin girls volleyball team and...
