The state playoff win — the first for the boys program in school history — means the Knights (21-5) will play WPIAL champion Aliquippa (23-5) on Wednesday at McComb Fieldhouse on the campus of Edinboro University. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. following the Warren girls game against North Catholic.

“Making it into the second round is a big accomplishment for all of our guys and our program,” Eisenhower coach Ryan Mangini said. “It is nice to see all of the hard work by this team pay off.”

The victory featured a balanced scoring attack as each Knights’ starter scored in the first quarter. Senior Kyler Black had 5 points in the opening period, including a 3 pointer to start an 11-4 run to help Eisenhower build a 15-9 lead.

North Cambria turned the table on the Knights defensively in the second quarter, holding them to just four points and biting into the Knights lead. By halftime, Eisenhower’s lead was 19-17.

Eisenhower senior looks for a passing option while being guarded on the baseline in Saturday’s PIAA 2A first-round playoff game against Northern Cambria. Photo courtesy of Bob Leslie

The Knights came out of the locker room determined to not let the Colts back into the game. Eisenhower junior Casey Seymour silenced the crowd when he hit a 3-pointer, which started a 14-6 scoring run. A huge blocked shot by Knights sophomore Gavin Lindemuth with 2:12 remaining in the quarter helped slam the door on Northern Cambria’s scoring as Eisenhower held North Cambria scoreless for the remainder of the period.

“I thought we played well defensively and took care of the basketball,” Mangini said. “If you do those two things, you will be in most games, even if you aren’t shooting well on the road.”

The Knights held a 33-25 heading into the final quarter. Northern Cambria hit back-to-back treys to narrow the deficit to 35-31, but Black, Lindemuth and Kris Bunk stepped up as each would score to help open the lead back up to 11 with 1:25 remaining in the game.

Northern Cambria, runners-up in District 6, did not give up as Caleb Dolney hit a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer by Parker Shutty cut the Eisenhower lead to 40-36 with 50 seconds left.

Knight freshman Austin Hanson, who led the Knights with 12 points, was perfect down the stretch from the free throw line, going 4-4 in a span of 30 seconds to supply the Knights an eight-point lead at the 23-second mark.

A late 3-pointer by the Colts’ Malik Fox and a final basket by Lindemuth closed out the scoring. With high-fives and smiles all around, Bunk and Black talked about the significance of what Eisenhower had accomplished.

“It just feels so good to get the win,” a smiling Bunk said. “It means a lot to see all of our hard work pay off in our last dance as Knights.”

Added Black: “It has been a long, rough road to get to this point. It means a lot to me and I’m sure to all of the seniors. It’s very impactful to us to put our names in the history of the school we all grew up in.”