Entering his senior season, Northampton's A.Q. McNeil knew he had to make some changes to his overall game.

He did, and worked diligently to improve his left hand and develop a short-range jumper in his role as a post player. McNeill's revisions have also helped his team continue to gain respectability in the East Penn Conference (EPC) and the Lehigh Valley.

In fact, McNeil's basket tied a recent key game against Whitehall late in the contest as the K-Kids then went ahead down the stretch to gain a 39-34 win.

The victory thrust the Kids into the top-four spots in the EPC and gave them an overall 6-4 mark, matching their overall win total for the two previous seasons.

McNeill finished the night with a team-high 13 points, 11 of them in the second half. It was not only a big game for McNeil, but an epiphany for his team.

"A.Q. (McNeil) had a good game for us," said Kids' head coach Coy Stampone. "He (McNeill) has come a long way for us. He has learned to deal with his height better and has adjusted with his play down low.

"He has worked hard and has been among our upperclassmen who have worked well with our younger players."

McNeil has watched and witnessed the transition.

"I feel like we have good chemistry here right now," added McNeil. "All of us have really worked well together. The younger players have blended in well with the seniors. Last year, the seniors didn't mesh with anyone."

Being a contributor since his freshman year, McNeil recognized his shortcomings.

"I wasn't using my left hand as much as I should have," said McNeil. "I was taller than most kids growing up, but I knew I had to be able to go to both sides.

When I'm playing down low, I know that I had to step out and take a jumper.

"Working on those two parts of my game was essential for me to get better."

In seventh grade, McNeil and his family moved from Allentown to Northampton, and he then began playing organized basketball.

"I had played, but my friends talked me into joining the school program," he recalled. "I played for an Allentown team against Northampton during the summer before I came here. I played against some kids who are here now. I was bigger than most kids. But the coaches really helped me to begin to develop my game."

As he and his teammates strive to get the team back to district play for the first time since the 2009-10 season, McNeil already has committed to play at Northampton Community College next winter. He plans to take general courses before deciding on a major.

Until then, McNeil has his priorities in line.

"We had a big win against Whitehall," he said. "We needed to beat one of the better teams around. We're playing with more confidence than any team in the past couple of years and we just have to continue to execute."