Mar 1, 2019 3 min read

After last year’s WPIAL Class 6A championship game, North Allegheny High School girls basketball coach Spencer Stefko joked he was having Zantac for dinner and washing it down with Pepto-Bismol.

Stefko, who was worried about the rebounding ability of Peters Township, could breathe a sigh of relief after the Tigers convincingly won the battle on the boards and the game, 79-48.

Indians coach Bert Kendall is hopeful that Stefko’s cause for concern is even more legitimate this time when the two teams meet in a rematch for the title tonight at the Petersen Events Center. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

“We have to take advantage of our height,” Kendall said. “Last year’s team didn’t have much size. (North Allegheny) controlled the boards. This year, we have size and length. We’ve been able to have a rebounding edge all season long.”

That’s because of the additions of 6-1 freshman Journey Thompson and 5-11 junior Mackenzie Lehman, the latter returning to basketball for the first time since eighth grade. Thompson leads top-seeded Peters Township (24-0) with eight rebounds per game. Lehman averages more than seven rebounds.

The other three starters, Makenna Marisa, Isabella Mills and Jordan Bisignani, played at the Petersen Events Center last year. Four of those five starters are 5-11 or taller.

“There is no doubt being (in the championship) last year, at least most of the team, we know what to expect. You get to the Pete, get off the bus and go through the underground area. The first time you walk out it is very Hoosiers-like,” Kendall said, referring to the movie “Hoosiers” and its scene when the team walks into the championship arena.

In general, having that experience is a benefit to us, but it’s not going to be like we have an advantage over North Allegheny.”

The Tigers (23-1), whose only loss of the year was a one-point setback to Norwin at the end of January, are returning to the title game for the fourth consecutive season. They are the two-time defending WPIAL champions.

Led by a backcourt of senior Rachel Martindale, an Akron recruit, and sophomore Lizzy Groetsch, North Allegheny offers a similar challenge at the guard positions as Bethel Park, who the Indians defeated three times, including in the semifinals.

“I think our game plan for the three times we played Bethel Park was very good,” Kendall said. “Martindale can shoot the ball like Olivia Westphal, while Groetsch is a good at driving to the hoop like Maria Cerro. We have to defend better than we did last year. We have to control their shooters.”

North Allegheny advanced to the finals with low-scoring wins over Upper St. Clair in the quarterfinals, 33-26, and Norwin in the semifinals, 37-36.

Peters Township’s 36-28 win over Bethel Park in the semifinals was four days after easily disposing of Fox Chapel, 57-23, in the quarterfinals.

The Indians, who became the first girls team from Washington County to complete an undefeated regular season, could become only the 17th girls team to win a WPIAL championship with a perfect record. Chartiers Valley, in Class 5A, could also achieve that feat earlier Saturday.

“Last year left a bad taste in the girls’ mouths,” Kendall said. “We were excited after the semifinals but the sense in the locker room was there is one more. There is more to be done. We will be ready.”