Before boarding the bus for the relatively short jaunt to Hershey’s Giant Center, Susquehanna Twp. sophomore guard Nehemiah “Bud” Mack was busy doing what he normally does — in the place where he normally can be found.
In the gym.
More specifically, Mack was bouncing around the Susquehanna Twp. Field House comfortably working on his shot and trying to find a good rhythm.
Well, something certainly worked.
Embroiled in a matchup with Mid-Penn Keystone Division playmate Bishop McDevitt — with a berth in Thursday’s District 3-AAA championship game riding — the 6-0 Mack really picked it up down the stretch as Township rallied for a 60-57 victory that needed an overtime session to settle.
Mack finished with a game-high 28 points, but he waited until the final nine minutes to flash his clutch gene repeatedly and ring up his final 15.
“I had to take my game to another notch,” Mack said.
Although Mack netted seven points in the fourth quarter — including a trey with 3:35 remaining that triggered an 8-0 spurt that enabled the Indians to erase a 45-39 deficit — the last two came on a post-up move that gave Township a 49-47 lead.
While Milik Gantz pulled McDevitt even with 38 seconds showing on a dash to the bucket, the Indians were angling for a game-winning bucket when Gabe Mack was tied up with 2.2 seconds left and the arrow pointed to the Crusaders.
“I also gave up the ball on the last play of the fourth quarter,” Bud Mack said later. “I don’t think I should have done that. I think I should have taken the shot.”
In time, Mack did.
Moments later, Justin McCarthur’s half-court heave grazed the iron.
OT awaited.
And so did another Bud Mack moment.
With the score stuck at 49-all nearly 90 seconds into the extra session, Mack found an opening out front and hoisted a shot from the top of the key that splashed home without grazing any iron. Another trey, his fifth of the night.
“Actually, me and my Dad worked on that shot about 15, 20 times before we came here,” Mack admitted. “I was real comfortable taking that.
“I knew it was gonna go in.”
“Bud, he’s Division I, man,” Rogers said. “He’s true Division I. He’s one of the best guards in Pennsylvania. We rode his back tonight. He hit those big buckets in the fourth period like ice water and one was a deep three.
“In the fourth period, when we took the lead, it was off him, too.”
Once Mack’s OT trey fell, the Indians never trailed again.
“We needed that, what Bud did,” junior forward Quintin Ward said.
McDevitt tried like heck to rally, but could not locate an equalizer. Three Tribe players made trips to the line in OT — Bud Mack, Gabe Mack and Ward — going 6-for-10 as Susquehanna clinched its spot in Thursday’s final against Manheim Central.
“This means a lot,” Mack said.
“I don’t want my team to celebrate a lot because we still have one more game, but this means a lot to have our moment going into the championship game.”
A moment that might require more trips to the gym to put up more shots.
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