After the boys basketball team suffered a 12 point loss against Montour in last season’s WPIAL 7th place game, they definitely ended their run with a bad taste in their mouth.
“We don’t want to have the same ending as last year,” said the only senior on the roster, Bailie Nowak, “We worked too hard and want to show it.”
Nowak is the only senior this year because starter and former captain Kaden Spencer came down with an unfortunate arm injury at the end of the football season.
The injury will keep probably the best defensive player on the team sidelined for the whole basketball season, causing the team to have to step up with leadership and defense.
“We have to talk the whole 32 minutes and give it all on the court,” Nowak said, not giving away any key secrets. “We have to hustle the whole time.”
That philosophy definitely worked two weeks ago, after the Knights barely lost to a class 5A Moon team a few days before, and beatdown Shady Side Academy 70-38. They then went up to Erie and balled out.
The team beat International Sports Academy and McDowell in a season opening tournament, with star juniors Jackson Bauman and Teegan Finucan getting selected to the All-Tournament team. Bauman also received Tournament MVP, having 20 points in the final game.
Since winning the tournament, Bauman has had 44 points in the past two games against North Hills and Valley, beating them pretty easily. He scored 13 against a struggling Valley Vikings team beating them by almost double, and had a highschool career high 31 points against a 6A class team North Hills. Other than putting up buckets, Bauman is also a great leader according to his teammates.
“Jackson always wants the best for the players and supports them” said Nowak, “[He] knows what the team wants.”
Bauman, who is a 6’2 guard, has been a huge player for the basketball team for his whole high school career. He was one of the two people who started as a freshman two years ago, and has been cooking up ever since.
Sophomore Owen Gillis agrees “He is probably our biggest leader.”
While the season is just starting, the team is already 5-1 and they hope to continue their winning ways playing the Burrell Bucs tonight, and a shorthanded Highlands team on Friday at home.
“We have a tough season ahead,” said Gillis, “We need to lock in and win some games.”
