North Allegheny's top scorer knows value of being a team player

There are times when North Allegheny girls basketball Coach Sherri McConnell stops her star player, Alexis Aiken, and makes a simple request: Shoot the ball.

Aiken anchors a North Allegheny group that returns three starters from its 20-4 campaign a season ago. Aiken, the daughter of former Pitt star Curtis Aiken, averaged 12.5 points and seven rebounds last year, but had nearly two assists per game.

That number might go up this season, as the Tigers look to improve on their third-place finish in Section 3-AAAA last year.

"I've always been told to do...