By Josh Taylor, School Coordinator
The prime-time matchup Saturday night at the A.J. Palumbo Center had all of the elements of a suitable climax for the WPIAL basketball championship weekend. There were enough fans to fill up the entire arena with both student sections full, and both Peters Township (23-2) and Mt. Lebanon (21-4) came ready for a grudge match to not only decide the boys' Class AAAA champion, but also the winner in the battle of bragging rights in a fierce Route 19 rivalry between the two Section 4 co-champions.
In a game that was so intense at times even the fans went back and forth from opposite sides of the gym, Peters Township's intensity lasted longer in a 60-54 victory, earning the Indians their first WPIAL championship in school history. Junior guard Craig Wolcott led them with a game-high 20 points, including 12-14 shooting from the free throw line.
Peters Township took the lead, 5-4, in the first quarter on a layup by senior guard Nick Wilcox, but then Mt. Lebanon went on a 7-0 run, ending on a driving layup by sophomore forward/guard Paul Lang, who tied with Deion Turman to lead the Blue Devils in scoring with 16. Peters Township responded with a three-pointer from the right corner by Phil Horensky and a layup by Stephen Radke to trail by only one at the close.
The Indians outscored the Blue Devils, 18-10, in the second quarter, as there were six lead changes and three ties. A layup by Turman tied the game at 19 with 4:22 left in the half, but then Horensky knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to take a six-point lead. He finished with nine points, all from behind the arc.
Mt. Lebanon was able to cut their deficit to five late in the second, but a last-ditch effort scoop shot by Corey Wilcox in the paint as time expired gave Peters Township a 28-21 lead going into halftime.
Mount Lebanon continued to battle back, scoring seven straight points to start the third. Junior guard Evan Pierce's three-pointer from the right wing tied the game at 28 with 5:27 remaining, but then Radke went on a tear of his own, and the 6'5" senior scored on three straight layups to take a six point lead. He also had all three of his blocked shots in the third quarter, denying Mt. Lebanon a chance to respond and securing a five-point lead going into the final frame, 35-30.
Brian Lackner started out the fourth quarter for Mt. Lebanon with a driving layup, plus a foul for a three-point play 13 seconds in, bringing the Blue Devils to within two. Then it was time for the Wilcox brothers to take over, combining for 12 points over a four-minute span to help put Peters Township ahead, 55-44 with 1:30 left in the game.
Turman, who completed a double-double with 13 rebounds, scored from the right block to make it 57-50 with 43 seconds left, but it was much too late as the Indians made 20 of 30 free throw attempts down the stretch, 10 of those from Wolcott alone. As the final seconds ticked down, the fans in red and black celebrated their second triumph over their South Hills rivals in their third meeting this season.
Both teams have qualified for the PIAA playoffs, and Mt. Lebanon will face City League champion Allderdice at a site and time to be determined on Saturday, March 7. Peters Township will await the winner of Tuesday's play-in game between Pittsburgh Central Catholic and Hollidaysburg.
