McGinnis relishes curtain call
Their dream season ended in heartbreaking fashion with a loss in the PIAA Class AA championship game, but a couple of Aliquippa’s key cogs banded together on the court one final time to go out with a win.
Sure, it was only an all-star game Saturday at Geneva College, but senior guards Stephon McGinnis and Darrien Fields got another chance to play for coach Nick Lackovich when the WPIAL Class AA team trounced the Class A/Prep Schools squad, 155-126, in the annual Roundball Classic.
“Those two kids are fabulous players, and for as good a players as they are, they’re even better kids. I love them, and we’re going to miss them tremendously,” said Lackovich, who coached the Class AA all-stars after guiding Aliquippa to a WPIAL title and undefeated season until the 62-51 PIAA final loss to Conwell-Egan Catholic on March 21.
For McGinnis, the Roundball Classic was just an extra opportunity to shine on the Western Pennsylvania basketball scene like he did this past season. A Post-Gazette Fabulous 5 pick and first-team all-state selection, McGinnis ran the show Saturday for a crew of all-stars who scored the most points in the history of the event.
“I just wanted to have fun,” said McGinnis, who knocked down three 3-pointers en route to 15 points. “It’s my last career high school game, so I just wanted to enjoy this one and get a win for the team.”
He did that and more, drawing plenty of oohs and ahhs from the crowd with his quick moves and creative assists. His 3-pointers weren’t just from behind the arc; they were from way beyond. A simple entry pass into the post? McGinnis figured why not make it a little more difficult by rocketing it in there with one hand.
A 5-foot-9 spark plug, he has just the style of play to make a laid-back all-star game a lot of fun.
“It felt great,” said McGinnis, who averaged 18.5 points per game for the Quips. “It felt basically like Aliquippa. We were out running, so nothing really changed.”
It was a sight his coach was used to seeing, even if this time it was in a different environment with no pressure.
“Steph is Steph,” Lackovich said after the game. “There’s not a whole lot you can say about him. He’s a tremendous little guard and we’re going to miss him. ... And he was just fooling around. He wasn’t playing serious, and I think he still had 15 points. Steph is a fabulous talent, he really is.”
Where that talent will be on display for years to come is the next step for McGinnis, who said he needs to concentrate on his classwork as the school year winds down. Lackovich is helping him with his college options and said the two are still looking at some schools, but the process “just has to play itself out.”
McGinnis said his future is “up in the air,” but mentioned starting off at a junior college as an option.
“It was fun, but now I’m on to bigger and better things, and I’ve got to get my grades and everything back in order,” he said.