In a couple of years, Peters Township junior Mackenzie Lehman will be playing Division I lacrosse at Liberty University.
No matter what she does on the lacrosse field though, she’ll have a tough time topping the memory she made Saturday night at Petersen Events Center.
With the Indians trailing North Allegheny by two and time winding down in the WPIAL championship game, Peters Township star senior Makenna Marisa had the ball in her hands at the top of the key. But rather than take the last shot to try to force overtime, Marisa drew a pair of defenders over to her, then passed the ball inside to Lehman — and the rest is history.
The 5-foot-11 forward pump-faked to get her defender airborne, then dribbled underneath her and banked in a layup to tie the score with seven seconds left. The game went to overtime, and Lehman made the Indians’ only field goal of the extra period after stealing a pass at midcourt. Lehman finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds as Peters Township won the game, 43-40, claiming its first WPIAL title in girls basketball and keeping its perfect season alive at 25-0.
And to think, at this time last year, Lehman was busy preparing for lacrosse tryouts while the girls who are now her teammates were getting crushed by North Allegheny in the WPIAL title game, 79-48.
“I came to a lot of the games last year because my best friend’s sister was on the team, and they had a fun run and they looked like they had a lot of fun,” Lehman said. “My little siblings got into basketball and I would go and shoot around at the courts, and I realized I missed it and wanted to come back.”
What a difference a year makes.
Lehman’s game-tying layup wasn’t anything flashy or spectacular, just a fundamentally sound execution of a jump-stop and layup, which goes right in line with what Indians coach Bert Kendall says she has brought to their team.
“I don’t think that it’s been any spectacular plays or performance. I think the thing she’s brought to this team is steady,” Kendall said. “I don’t know if I can point to any one specific game or moment, but we just look at the stat line after the game and go, ‘There’s Mackenzie again.’ It’s just very consistent and very, very steady.”
Kendall had never seen Lehman play before this season, but as soon as she started practicing with the team over the summer, he knew her length, speed and athletic ability could be the missing pieces the team needed to bring home that elusive WPIAL title.
“She came in there maybe a little rusty with her skills, and she’s improved as the season goes on with some of that,” Kendall said. “But we’re fine with the fact that she’s working harder to get better every day, because the things she’s brought to the table physically and mentally have helped the team.”
Judging by her performance Saturday night, Lehman’s work in the gym seems to be paying off.
“It’s been a steady progression,” Kendall said. “What she did there in that championship game was not someone with rust.”
It’s worth noting that Peters Township hasn’t lost a game since Lehman joined the team. Now, the PIAA playoffs are the only thing standing in the way of the Indians completing a perfect season with a state championship.
“I definitely have to get ready for lacrosse,” Lehman said. “Tryouts are this week, but I don’t think I can attend because of basketball. Next step is getting back in the gym and preparing for states, and then we’ll get lacrosse going once it ends.”
Lehman said her lacrosse coaches will give her a pass on missing tryouts as she finishes up the basketball season — she is an Under Armour All-American, after all. But there’s still time for her to make a few more memories on the hardwood like the one she made Saturday night.
And even with a superstar like Marisa on the team, Lehman could be called upon again to recreate her last-minute heroics.
“If I had to do it all over again, I’d give her the ball again,” Kendall said.
Steve Rotstein: srotstein@post-gazette.com and Twitter @SteveRotstein
BOYS STANDINGS: WPIAL | City League
Team Pages | Schedules and results
GIRLS STANDINGS: WPIAL | City League
Team Pages | Schedules and results
First Published: March 7, 2019, 12:00 p.m.
