Kyle Shawaluk learned about the success of Perkiomen School's basketball program at a pick-up game. Two years later, the Schwenksville resident is two wins away from earning his first championship of any kind.

            On Tuesday, Shawaluk helped the school's National team advance to the

Dylan Homenick, right, releases a layup against Abington Friends School.

semifinal round of the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association Tournament. The two-time defending state champion defeated Malvern Prep, 63-46, at the Hollenbach Athletic Center.

            Shawaluk, a Perkiomen Valley graduate, made his eighth straight start and scored two points during the decisive third quarter to help the top-seeded Panthers post their third straight victory. Two more wins would secure their third consecutive state title.

            "Winning a state title would mean so much," said Shawaluk, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard.

            Three players scored in double figures for Perkiomen School, which reached the PISAA final four for the fifth consecutive season. K.J. Cochran finished with a game-high 16 points.

            Gabe Tanner delivered 14 points for the Panthers (19-8), who will host a semifinal-round game on Friday. Hayden Johns registered 13 while Julian Sadler added seven points.

            Harry Morra, first-year head coach, identified his team's strength as having the ability to excel at both ends of the floor. He described the players as battle-tested, citing their eight losses against the nation's top-ranked prep teams.

            Shawaluk, who teamed with Sadler to help lead the Vikings to the District One Class 6A playoffs last season as a senior, claimed he was unaware of Perkiomen School's basketball success in May 2023 when he attended a pick-up game at Souderton High School.  He met Bobby Rosenberg, a Quakertown native and forward who helped the Panthers win their first state title a few months earlier.

            Shawaluk, who averaged 13 points, six rebounds and six assists for Perkiomen Valley last season and guarded the opponent's top scorer the last two seasons, decided to test his skill as a postgraduate. According to Morra, the player has embraced his role as an off guard.

            "Kyle understands what he is," said Morra, an assistant coach at Lehigh University for eight seasons and the head coach at DeSales University in Center Valley. "He's a good shooter, and is always in the right place defensively."

            Down 23-22 late in the second quarter, the Panthers rallied to go ahead 29-27 at halftime. They pulled away in the third quarter.

            Tanner contributed seven points during the third. His steal and layup late in the quarter put them ahead 46-33.

            Tanner and Sadler each converted a 3-pointer during the quarter. Perkiomen School drained multiple mid-distance shots. 

"We were looking to control the paint," Morra said. "But Malvern Prep took that away."

            Last week, the Panthers opened the state tournament with an 85-55 victory over Abington Friends School. Gabe Tanner led them with a team-high 22 points.  Cochran delivered 21 points, including career point No. 1,000 at the school. Johns added 17 points on Thursday, Feb. 20.

            Cochran, a senior from West Chester, who needed eight points coming into the game, reached the plateau in his second season at the school. He became the eighth male player and 11th overall at Perkiomen School to accomplish the feat.

            Cochran, who scored 793 points at West Chester East, became the first Panther to score 1,000 since Thomas Haugh, currently playing at the University of Florida, accomplished the feat in 2023. The 6-foot-4 point guard has committed to continue his career at Santa Clara University, a Division I program in California that competes in the West Coast Conference.