Good times back for Mt. Lebanon boys’ basketball
Although heavily defended by Grant Mocharko (No. 23), and Conor Pederson (No. 3), Mt. Lebanon’s Mark Lamendola rises to the hoop for a score. Lamendola scored a pair of free throws to tie the game, 53-53, and the Blue Devils defeated Peters Township, 60-59, in overtime.
Peters Township’s Conor Pederson barrels his way through Mt. Lebanon defenders Caden Hinckley (No. 21) and Sean Witte during boys’ basketball action. Pederson fired in 13 points but that was not enough for the Indians as Lebo scored a 60-59 victory in overtime.
The good times are back in boys’ basketball as Mt. Lebanon (4-1, 7-7) has ridden the wave of nostalgia to the top. After upending Peters Township (3-2, 10-4) in overtime, 60-59, on the road, the Blue Devils headed into their Jan. 17 home game against arch rival Upper St. Clair (2-1, 9-3) tied with Baldwin (4-1, 10-4) for first place in Section 2 in Class 6-A of the WPIAL.
“Great environment,” Lebo floor boss Joe David said. “Games are like when I used to play.”
When David played for USC, the 1982 high school graduate came to expect packed gymnasiums and plenty of fanfare, complete with tense times. Exactly like the contest the Blue Devils experienced on Friday the 13th.
“Packed house, pep band, great fans. Everything you expect. A great atmosphere for basketball,” David said. “Almost like a playoff.”
In their division, the Blue Devils’ battles all are critical in determining post-season action. Winning on the road is imperative as all playoff games are played at neutral sites. The Blue Devils already have compiled key wins away from home, including a comeback triumph to open league action against Canon-McMillan as well as last Friday’s fray at Peters Township. Lebo’s lone league loss occurred at home against Baldwin, 51-45.
“It’s great to win games on the road but we have four or five big games coming up at home and it’s nice to play at home but we do have to win those,” David said.
The Blue Devils have rematches with C-M and Peters on Jan. 24 and Feb. 7 and host highly-regarded Chartiers Valley on Jan. 21, but travel to Baldwin and USC on Feb. 3 and 10 to conclude league action.
On the road or on their home court, the Blue Devils have exhibited the prototype recipe for success. Peters Township proved a primary example as four Lebo starters finished in double figures-Mark Lamendola (12), Sean Loughran (13), Antonio Garofoli (12) and Caden Hinckley (12). Michael Palmer pitched in nine points. Brice Miller, Joey Passodelis and Sean Witte contributed critical minutes in the contest.
“We just hung in there and made the plays we needed to make to win the game,” David said.
Without Lamendola’s free throws, the game would not have entered overtime. He drained a pair to knot the contest, 53-53, with 8.3 seconds left in regulation. Without Hinckley’s blocked shot in the final seconds, Lebo might have lost. Without Garofoli’s swipe and layup, the Blue Devils would not have gone ahead for good with 14.8 seconds to play. Without Loughran’s 3-pointer to start the extra frame, Lebo would not have kept pace with PT’s Michael Cortese, who finished with 17 tallies, 15 in the final 12 minutes of action. Without Palmer’s passing, not to mention timely shots, Lebo’s offense would not click.
“Truly a team,” David said. “It’s a great group of kids who really get along well. They play well together and they like each other.”
Lebo’s players forged lasting friendships during the holiday break when they traveled to Florida to participate in the Palm Beach Shootout. Though the Blue Devils posted a 1-3 record, the camaraderie developed within the club has been paying dividends.
“We’ve had a rugged non-section schedule,” David explained, “and our overall record isn’t that impressive but we’ve really grown as a team and as young men. Our experiences are helping us improve and hopefully we continue to get better and better.”
Meanwhile, despite having lost a wealth of experience from last year, Peters Township has exhibited improvement. The Indians were 10-4 overall heading into their Jan. 17 game at Canon-McMillan. Against Lebo, Dax Ploskina and Conor Pederson joined Cortese in double figures. They fired in 15 and 13 markers for the Indians, who used a 17-2 run to mount a 53-45 lead with 3:08 to play in regulation.
Other action
In other Section 2 action, Canon-McMillan fell to Baldwin, 61-58, while Bethel Park lost to Connellsville, 71-60. Britton Beachy’s 16 tallies led the Big Macs. Justin Meis topped 20 for the Black Hawks.
Chartiers Valley split decisions in Section 2, Class 5-A of the WPIAL. The Colts dropped a 72-66 decision at Mars but edged Moon at home, 57-55.
Against the Planets, who lead the league with a 5-0 record, Caleb Zajicek pumped in 21 points. Coleman Vaughn and Ross Wilkerson followed with 16 apiece for the Colts, who are 3-1 in the section and 8-2 overall. Against the Tigers, Zajicek and Wilkerson pitched in 13 markers each.
In Class 4-A, Section 3, South Fayette fell to McGuffey, 45-43. Cam Garland fired in 15 points for the Lions. Also, Keystone Oaks lost to Elizabeth-Forward, 69-68, in overtime. Ryan Collins (22) and Vonte Mitchell (16) led the Golden Eagles.
In Section 2-AAA, Seton-La Salle defeated Freedom, 78-47. George Mike exploded for 31 points while Jacob Richardson followed with 15 markers. The Rebels dropped a 57-48 decision to Washington in follow-up action. Mike Biglay tossed in 14 for the Rebels, who were 2-2 in the league and 4-9 overall to start the week.