Feb 3, 2005 By Jim Downey 4 min read

CONNELLSVILLE – With their backs to the playoff wall, it was Norwin, not Connellsville, which rose to the challenge Wednesday night as the Knights hit the floor running, racing away to a 71-54 Section 1-AAAA road victory. Norwin entered the contest with a section win in hand and a win in the first meeting at Norwin. Connellsville controlled its destiny, needing at least a win over Norwin to tie for the fourth playoff berth and a win at Hempfield Friday or a Norwin loss against Penn Trafford.

The race is over now with the Knights standing at 8-5 in the section and 10-12 overall. Connellsville slips to 6-7 in the section and 9-12 overall.

“(Norwin) played like their season was on the line more than us,” said Connellsville head coach Nick Bosnic. “Give them credit. They made the adjustments.”

Connellsville was within range at the half, trailing 40-33 after cutting the score to 23-21 on Chris Pepe’s field goal at 6:14 in the second quarter.

The dagger to Connellsville’s playoff hopes was plunged quickly in the first two minutes of the second half when Norwin tore off a 10-0 run behind eight points by the game’s leading scorer Jordan Medich and a field goal by Rege Flowers. Medich finished with 25 with Flowers close behind with 20 points.

Trailing by 17, Connellsville went on an 8-0 run only to have Norwin close the final three minutes of the third quarter with a 9-2 run of its own.

“A couple of times we made it to single digits and they made another run at us,” explained Bosnic. “They came out so strong in the third quarter. We made a run one time in the third quarter and Norwin put in some baskets.”

With the offense in high gear, it was the Norwin defense that made the scoring runs possible, confusing the Connellsville offense and denying many good shot opportunities. A little talk the Norwin coaching staff had with Medich at halftime helped as well.

“We mixed up the defense tonight. We played man, a little zone and a little triangle-and-2,” said Norwin head coach Lynn Washowich. “We talked to Medich at halftime and told him to stay on the post. He has such a quick drop step. It worked.”

Connellsville spent the fourth quarter in a seesaw affair common in a rout, unable to move any closer than 15 points in the final eight minutes.

Andrew Kraynak got the game rolling for the starting five of fellow seniors Andy Lonigro, Jeremy King, Adam Stone and Chris Pepe with a couple of free throws 35 seconds into the game, but Norwin responded with the first of many runs for a 7-2 lead.

The Knights built the lead the advantage to 19-10 on Jason Jasko’s field goal with 54 seconds left in the quarter, but Connellsville scored the final four points to trail by five. The Falcons had a small surge at the start of the second quarter to draw to within two, but Norwin responded time after time to steadily pull away.

Strangely enough, Washowich attributed the eagle-eyed shooting to the environs away from home.

“Since the gym was redone a couple of years ago, it has an arena feel and it’s a tough place to shoot. We shoot better in smaller gyms. It’s (a) mental (thing) for our kids,” said Washowich.

Connellsville has had several good runs into the playoffs of late, but it was not to be this season.

“We let them drive around us and didn’t do a good job challenging their shots. We’re a defense-first team. If the defense isn’t working, we’re in trouble,” said Bosnic.

“It’s a tough loss for us to have a home game and not give the effort we should have. That’s disappointing.”

Justin King led the Falcons with 19 points. Kraynak added 11.