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<p>She could always score.</p><p>Mackenzie Yori proved that long ago, by breaking the school&#8217;s single-game scoring record in the Hazleton Area High School gym as a sophomore.</p><p>But what she did as a senior was even more special.</p><p>Yori put her young Hazleton Area teammates on her back and took them for a ride into the PIAA Class 4A girls basketball playoffs, which start for the 21-3 Cougars at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Crestwood High School with a first-round state game against 21-7 Neshaminy.</p><p>And she doesn&#8217;t want the journey to stop there.</p><p>&#8220;It was a goal of ours,&#8221; Yori said. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been working very hard for it.</p><p>&#8220;We deserved this.&#8221;</p><p>Maybe nobody earned it more than Yori.</p><p>Throughout her high school career, the 5-foot-5 point guard has been a phenomenal outside shooter, taking off on scoring sprees that included a 41-point night two seasons ago that set the school&#8217;s scoring mark for the Hazleton Area High School gym.</p><p>But her work this season has been even more meaningful to the Cougars.</p><p>With three first-year starters in the lineup, the team looked to three-year starter Yori for leadership.</p><p>So she got her teammates involved by distributing the ball. She kept stealing it away from other teams at the top of Hazleton Area&#8217;s patented press defense. She sacrificed points to ensure team precision.</p><p>She still scored, averaging 18.1 points to finish seventh in the Wyoming Valley Conference while hitting 19 3-point field goals barely missing a foul shot to finish first in the league at 85 percent in the regular season.</p><p>In the postseason, Yori took center stage while driving the Cougars to their first state playoff game since 2010.</p><p>She erupted for 30 points in a first-round playoff victory over Wyoming Valley West, then ensured Hazleton Area&#8217;s District 2 championship and the district&#8217;s only Class 4A state tournament berth that comes with it by dominating the title game with 23 points in a 70-32 pasting of Pittston Area.</p><p>&#8220;She was motivated,&#8221; Hazleton Area coach Joe Gavio said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve never seen her so motivated. I think it was Mack taking this team and saying, &#8216;Come with me for the ride.&#8217; She wanted this badly.&#8221;</p><p>The Hazleton community seemed to sense it. A group of young fans &#8212; kids Yori helps coach in the summer &#8212; brought a sign to the district championship game at Mohegan Sun Arena reading &#8220;Mack is ready to attack.&#8221;</p><p>Her scoring surge against Pittston Area proved it. After two seasons of facing hounding defenses employed by the rival Patriots which produced some of Yori&#8217;s lowest point totals &#8212; including a frustrating District 2 championship loss last season &#8212; Yori finally broke free with a charge into the state playoffs.</p><p>&#8220;I just moved without the ball,&#8221; Yori said. &#8220;And my teammates got me the ball. We just did what we know how to do. Once we do that, there&#8217;s no stopping us.&#8221;</p><p>Neshaminy will sure try.</p><p>The Redskins, seeded 13th in the District 1 playoffs, reached the PIAA tournament by upsetting No. 4 Mount St. Joseph&#8217;s, then edged Conestoga 53-48 to earn District 1&#8217;s No. 7 slot in the state field.</p><p>Team captain Devon Storms and sophomore Brooke Mullin proved to be capable scorers through the District 1 playoffs, while Mullin and senior leader Morgan Goldenbaum lead Neshaminy&#8217;s defensive charge.</p><p>It will present another challenge to Hazleton Area team that&#8217;s starting to peak under playoff pressure.</p><p>&#8220;This is becoming a hell of a ride,&#8221; Gavio said. &#8220;Let&#8217;s not stop now.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Hazleton Area&#8217;s Mackenzie Yori, shown hitting a layup over Pittston Area&#8217;s Portia Weidlich the District 2 Class 4A championship game, spent her senior season paving the way for the Cougars&#8217; return to the PIAA playoffs Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_hazletonpittston04.jpg</photo0><caption0>Hazleton Area&#8217;s Mackenzie Yori, shown hitting a layup over Pittston Area&#8217;s Portia Weidlich the District 2 Class 4A championship game, spent her senior season paving the way for the Cougars&#8217; return to the PIAA playoffs Friday night. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>PIAA Class 4A Girls Basketball Playoffs</strong></p><p>Hazleton Area (21-3) vs. Neshaminy (21-7)</p><p>7:30 p.m. Friday, Crestwood High School</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Mackenzie Yori leads Hazleton Area on a long-awaited return to the PIAA playoffs