Lady Warriors Win Joust With Knights, Remain Unbeaten In Section 1
In a Section 1-AAAA clash, Penn-Trafford topped the Norwin Knights for a 45-39 road victory on Tuesday night in the MSA Sports & Quad-A Conference Girls Basketball Game of the Week. The Warriors jumped out to a 16-5 lead and wore down the fast-paced Knights with a deliberate style. Controlling the ball with guards Casey Aunkst and Athena Biondi, the Warriors were able to break the Norwin press and find open players like junior Maria Palarino who poured in a game-high 20 points.
Penn-Trafford maintained a 33-20 lead heading into the fourth quarter before the Knights initiated a furious rally. Sophomore Alayna Gribble scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half and junior Amanda Batey drained a late game three-pointer to trim the PT lead to 43-37.
However, the Knights could come no closer as clutch free-throws by junior Katy Abreu put away a 45-39 win. Abreu finished the night with 16 points, scoring 10 in the second half, and corralled numerous offensive rebounds to extend Penn-Trafford’s ball-control possessions. For her efforts, Abreu was named the Quad-A Network’s Player of the Game.
The win keeps Penn-Trafford undefeated in Section 1 with a 7-0 mark and 8-4 overall record. Norwin falls to 6-5 overall and 4-1 in section play. The victory was the seventh in a row for the Warriors in head-to-head meetings with the Knights. Penn-Trafford hosts Laurel Highlands on Thursday night while Norwin hosts Albert Gallatin on Thursday
To hear our pre-game interview with Warriors head coach John Giannikas, click here.
To hear our pre-game interview with Knights head coach Brian Brozeski, click here.
Penn-Trafford at Norwin Game Summary
| SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL |
| Penn-Trafford | 4 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 37 |
| Norwin | 14 | 19 | 13 | 9 | 55 |
Norwin - Zachary Bryan 11 pts, Alex Haas 11 pts, Gage McCracken 11 pts