Another McConnell leads Chartiers Valley
When they played basketball in the backyard, T.J. McConnell never let his little sister, Megan, win.
“I’d come in from outside crying because he stole the ball or he blocked my shot,” Megan said. “But he made me the player that I am today.”
And what a player she was during the first round of the WPIAL Class 5-A girls’ tournament Feb. 17. The youngest McConnell dropped in 22 points, buried four, 3-point field goals, drove the paint and drew a charge on defense that changed the complexion of the contest as Chartiers Valley roared back from two deficits to defeat Thomas Jefferson, 53-42, at Peters Township.
About the only thing the freshman guard didn’t do as well as big brother was convert free throws. She was 6-of-10 from the line, but cashed in a pair to seal the victory with 11.2 seconds to play.
“Free throws were not too good,” Megan admitted. “I need to work on those shots. Maybe I’ll ask him what I did,” she added with a laugh.
Megan could do so immediately because T.J. was home on break due to the NBA All-Star Weekend. T.J. is in his second season playing for Philadelphia. The 6-2 point guard is averaging 6.3 points and 6.1 rebounds for the 76ers.
“This was the first time that he has seen me play. He’s never home because he is always on the road playing,” Megan explained. “It was exciting. He’s my role model. I want to play like him on the court.”
Offensively, certainly did as she drained the shots from beyond the arc. Defensively, she did, too. When she drew the charge with 3:17 to play, big brother stood and applauded.
“Threes are my priority but defense wins game,” Megan explained. “Taking the charge changed the game around. You’ve got to sacrifice your body to win the game.”
Sacrifice is what Megan has done because of her love of basketball. She picked up dribbling drills in pre-school and started playing in third grade. In addition to CV, Megan plays AAU ball for the Western Pennsylvania Bruins. Megan also shoots at least 100 shots a day. And, when she’s not in the gym, she’s shooting with her father, Tim, who has more than 500 victories and six WPIAL championship titles as boys’ coach at Chartiers Valley.
“Gotta give him some cred(it)s too,” said Megan.
Megan, however, agreed that her big brother has the most sway.
“He’s influenced me a lot. He texts me every game and he lets me know what I am doing right and wrong and how to get better. He’s really pushed me,”
Though just a rookie of high school basketball, Megan has grown into the leader that T.J. was when he guided the Colts to a WPIAL title and a PIAA runner-up trophy his senior season, a season in which he tallied more than 1,000 points to complete a 2,000-plus point career. Megan’s leadership was noticeable when the Lady Colts ran into foul trouble in the second half and struggled to a 23-21 lead.
“Our bench stepped up,” Megan said. “I told them this is your time to play and shine and they did. Just keep working hard as a team.”
That’s Megan’s motto as she says she hopes the Colts can win more games and “go to the Pete” to compete for a championship. The WPIAL 5-A final is set for 3 p.m. March 4. But South Fayette stands in CV’s way. The two teams battle Feb. 25 in the quarterfinals. During section play, the two teams split decisions, each winning on the opponent’s home court.
“South Fayette is a great team. One of our rivals,” Megan said. “But if we play with all of our hearts and leave it all on the court, then we have a chance to win. We left it all out there the last time we played them,” she said of CV’s 50-49 triumph over the Lions back on Feb. 6.
Megan, who is averaging 10.5 points per game, leaves everything out on the court each time she plays because she is a McConnell and she has bigger aspiration than her brother. She wants to emulate her aunt. Suzie McConnell-Serio excelled at Penn State, competed in two Olympiads and played professionally in the WNBA before embarking on a coaching career where she won championships at Oakland Catholic. Serio now coaches the women at the University of Pittsburgh.
“Personally, I want to play in college for sure. Division I,” Megan noted. “I want to be like my aunt. Play in the WNBA. But,” she quickly corrected, “Olympics first.”
NOTES: In addition to McConnell, Mackenzie Wagner scored in double figures against Thomas Jefferson, which has two players foul out of the contest. Despite her own foul trouble, Wagner finished with 10 tallies. Abby Collins added eight markers.