Mount Alvernia may be nicknamed the "Lions," but more often than not over the past month, the school's basketball team played under a different moniker -- underdogs.

A 13-8 regular-season record etched on its resume, not much was expected from the all-girls Catholic school in Millvale in the WPIAL Class A playoffs, especially when the Lions advanced to play undefeated Monessen in the championship game.

The tag was stuck on them again in the PIAA playoffs, never more evident than it was in the semifinals, when the Lions faced a Farrell squad many viewed as a title favorite.

But despite hearing the naysayers shower them with doubt, the Lions never allowed any of it to penetrate their ever-growing thick skin, choosing rather to embrace the role.

"We like to be the underdog," senior guard Lisa Kaczynski said. "It's to our advantage."

It was that attitude that not only allowed Mount Alvernia to cast aside any doubt, but also enabled the Lions to win their first WPIAL title in a decade, while advancing to the PIAA final for the first time in 25 years.

Mount Alvernia (21-9) saw its outstanding season finally come to a close last Saturday with a 40-34 loss to District 11 champion Marian Catholic of Tamaqua at Penn State University's Bryce Jordan Center.

The Lions enjoyed a lot of thrills on their ride to success, many of which came to fruition with the team playing its best ball down the stretch. After a 9-3 finish in section play, while finishing second to North Catholic (12-0) for the section crown, the Lions went on a roll as the No. 5 seed in the WPIAL playoffs, defeating Clairton, Serra Catholic, Avonworth and second-seed Monessen.

Against Monessen in the final at Duquesne University's A.J. Palumbo Center, the Lions topped the Greyhounds -- who entered the contest 26-0 -- in double overtime, 74-68. As they did all season, the team's lone two seniors, Kaczynski (19 points) and forward Renee Brown (34 points), led the way.

Kaczynski proved to be one of the WPIAL's top 3-point shooters this season, while Brown was a steady force down low.

"[Kaczynski] has been our leader. She's been our inspirational player. And she never quits," Mount Alvernia assistant coach Larry McCabe said.

Wins over Austin, Saltsburg and Eisenhower in the PIAA tournament put Mount Alvernia to work on its next test, District 10 champion Farrell and its trio of 1,000-point scorers. The Lions must have studied hard because they seemed to have all the answers for the explosive Steelers. Leading by as many as 17 points, the Lions hung on for a 56-53 win.

"We weren't intimidated," Kaczynski said. "I know a lot of teams that came into the state [playoffs] and played Farrell who were very intimidated."

That refusal to be intimidated was another factor in Mount Alvernia's success. A lot of that came from the Lions three underclassman starters -- junior center Kat Owunna, the team's top rebounder; junior forward Tahlar McIntosh, perhaps the team's most athletic player; and gritty sophomore guard Gabby Holko.

But against Marian Catholic (32-1) in the PIAA final, the Lions finally met their match, denying McCabe and head coach De Porucznik a state trophy to match the one they earned in 1983. Marian Catholic's 6-foot-4 senior center Rachel Connely, a James Madison recruit, had her way with the Lions throughout, bullying them for 19 points, 16 rebounds and 11 blocked shots.

For Mount Alvernia, though, the final result did nothing to blemish what had occurred up to that point.