Deer Lakes girls basketball loses close contest to Knoch

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, January 23, 2018 | 12:16 AM

A number of recent matchups between the Knoch and Deer Lakes girls basketball teams went down to the wire, including a five-point win by the Knights in December.

Monday night was no different.

Casey Kretzer made two free throws with one second left to seal Knoch's 38-34 Section 1-4A victory.

“Deer Lakes is such a well-coached team, and the teams are so evenly matched,” Knights coach Chris Andreassi said. “That was a big section win for us.”

Knoch improved to 6-9 overall and 5-2 in the section and solidified its hold on third place behind Cardinal Wuerl North Catholic (8-0) and Freeport (7-1).

Deer Lakes fell to 3-5 in section and 6-8 overall, but the Lancers remain in the mix for a playoff spot. The Lancers are tied with Burrell (3-5) for the fourth and final playoff berth from the section and own a victory over the Bucs.

“We just have to keep moving forward,” Deer Lakes coach Dave Petruska said.

Knoch led by five at halftime and four at the end of the third quarter, but the Knights were unable to pull away in the fourth.

Anna Solomon made a pair of 3-pointers in the waning seconds of regulation, the second one pulling Deer Lakes to within two at 36-34 with seven seconds remaining.

Knoch tried to inbound the ball after a timeout, but the ball landed in the hands of Deer Lakes' Carly Hammers under the Lancers' basket. But Hammers was unable to convert an open layup, and Hannah Rowe came down with the rebound for the Knights.

Kretzer was fouled, and her foul shots sealed it.

“I told the girls at halftime and again after the game that every single possesson counts, not just one play at the end of the game,” Petruska said. “We had so many missed opportunities, from empty possessions with turnovers and missed shots and layups. It all adds up.”

Petruska said frustration also came in the form of a 5-for-14 effort from the free-throw line. Knoch also missed nine foul shots.

Knoch starters Kayla Grafton and Gabby Fennell left the game with four fouls midway through the third quarter, but, Andreassi said, Sadie Siegel and Anna Neff did a solid job off the bench to help fill to void.

With her team ahead by two points early in the final quarter, Siegel grabbed an offensive rebound, put in the layup, was fouled and hit the free throw to put Knoch up 35-30.

Petruska said he liked the way his team started the game.

Deer Lakes held Knoch off the scoreboard for the first 5 minutes, 54 seconds. The Knights had eight empty possessions before Kretzer got them on the board with a 3-pointer.

The Lancers got 3-pointers from Solomon and Julia Hollibaugh and a jumper from Abby Bucehel to lead 8-3 after one.

It was Knoch's defense that shined in the second quarter. Rowe and Emily Fraser converted baskset off of Deer Lakes turnovers in the first minute of the second to pull the Knights to within one. A 3-pointer from Grafton at the 5:26 mark gave Knoch its first lead at 10-8.

The Knights forced eight Lancers turnovers in the quarter and held Deer Lakes to one point. Knoch led 14-9 lead at the break.

Hollibaugh led Deer Lakes with 13 points on the strength of four 3-pointers, and Solomon finished with nine. Kretzer led the Knights with 12 points, and Fraser added 10.

Michael Love is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at mlove@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Mlove_Trib.

Tags: Deer Lakes, Knoch