UPDATED 1/6/09
Happy New Year and welcome back to the Northeast Beat.
League play gets underway with a 3-game week in the Wyoming Valley Conference.
There are many great choices for viewing games this week, but the Beat
has selected a few marquee matchups to highlight. On the boys side,
this Tuesday, Holy Cross plays at Riverside and Wyoming Area hosts Holy
Redeemer. Of course, the predictions of snow and freezing rain might
play havoc with the entire schedule. On Saturday, Hazleton makes the
short trip to play Crestwood in a WVC Division 1 showdown. In non-league
action, it doesnŐt get much better than when Holy Cross plays Communications
Tech (District 12 AA powerhouse from Philadelphia ranked number 15 in
the newly released MASN-LLHoops statewide Top 20 rankings) this Saturday
afternoon at Marywood University. On Monday Scranton Prep hosts Abington
Heights in what is always a very emotionally charged atmosphere. On
the girls side, Berwick finds themselves in a pair of huge games, playing
at Coughlin Wednesday before hosting Holy Redeemer on Friday. On Monday,
Holy Cross entertains Dunmore in what may be an early showdown in the
Lackawanna Division 2 race.
There was also plenty of terrific holiday tournament
action which provided bragging rights, hardware, and memories to last
another year. Recaps are provided below on all 34 boys and girls tourney
events. As many fans know, the NEP Beat typically does grab a bleacher
seat, often times across the court from the scorer table to gain a better
vantage point. Sometimes the sounds are truly wonderful, like last week
at the Taylor Lions Holiday tourney. You could hear West Scranton head
coach Jack Lyons inspiring his players during a second half timeout
(across the court, over the cheerleaders shouting). Classic. And the
MMI Prep mom who was wondering aloud whether the Invader uniforms were
made from spandex. Not sure about that one. Maybe a reader can shed
some light on that issue.
The Northeast Beat would also like to take a moment
to pass along our sincerest regrets following the death of Holy Redeemer
17-year old junior Ian Pope who was killed in a car accident in Edwardsville
back on December 23. Ian was a passenger in the vehicle in which two
other Holy Redeemer students were injured. He was a standout player
on their soccer team and truly left a lasting impact on those he knew.
THIS WEEKS DISTRICT 2 BOYS TOP 10
1. Holy Cross
(8-0) 2A
2. Williamsport
(8-2) 4A
3. Crestwood
(8-1) 3A
4. Abington
Heights (8-1) 3A
5. Hazleton
(7-2) 4A
6. Scranton
Prep (7-2) 3A
7. Holy Redeemer
(5-5) 3A
8. West Scranton
(7-1) 3A
9. Dunmore (5-4)
2A
10. Wilkes-Barre GAR (7-2) 2A
OTHERS TO WATCH
Blue Ridge (5-2), Dallas (8-2), Elk Lake (8-1), Nanticoke
(5-5), MMI Prep (4-3), Montrose (5-2), Mountain View (5-3), North Pocono
(6-4), Pittston (4-5), Riverside (5-5), Valley View (5-5), Wilkes-Barre
Coughlin (8-2), Wyoming Area (7-2)
UPCOMING DISTRICT 2 TOP BOYS GAMES
TUESDAY, 1/6
Wyoming Valley West at Crestwood (WVC Division 1)
Tunkhannock at Hazleton (WVC Division 1)
Holy Redeemer at Wyoming Area (WVC Division 2)
Dallas at Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (WVC Division 2)
Wilkes-Barre GAR at Nanticoke (WVC Division 3)
Lake-Lehman at MMI Prep (WVC 3/4 crossover)
North Pocono at Scranton Prep (Lackawanna Division
1)
Holy Cross at Riverside (Lackawanna Division 2)
Valley View at Dunmore (Lackawanna Division 2)
Montrose at Blue Ridge (Lackawanna Division 3)
Williamsport at Hollidaysburg
THURSDAY, 1/8
Pittston at Hazleton (WVC Division 1)
Wyoming Area at Wyoming V. West (WVC 1/2 crossover)
Holy Redeemer at Dallas (WVC Division 2)
Wyoming Seminary at MMI Prep (WVC Division 4)
FRIDAY, 1/9
Scranton at Scranton Prep (Lackawanna Division 1)
Wallenpaupack at Abington Hts. (Lackawanna Division
1)
Riverside at Valley View (Lackawanna Division 2)
Mt. View at Forest City (Lackawanna Division 3)
Blue Ridge at Elk Lake (Lackawanna Division 3)
SATURDAY, 1/10
Wyoming Valley West at Coughlin (WVC 1/2 crossover)
Hazleton at Crestwood (WVC Division 1)
Wyoming Area at Dallas (WVC Division 2)
MMI Prep at Northwest (WVC Division 4)
Loyalsock Twp. at Williamsport
Holy Cross vs. Communications Tech (Marywood)
TUESDAY, 1/13
Abington Hts. at Scranton Prep (Lackawanna Division
1)
North Pocono at West Scranton (Lackawanna Division
1)
Holy Cross at Dunmore (Lackawanna Division 2)
Elk Lake at Mt. View (Lackawanna Division 3)
Pittston at Wyoming V. West (WVC Division 1)
Holy Redeemer at Crestwood (WVC 1/2 crossover)
Hazleton at Wyoming Area (WVC Division 1/2 crossover)
DISTRICT 2 BOYS HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT RECAPS
In one of the more anticipated holiday events, the
58th Lynett Memorial
took a step back in time and made a return to the former Scranton CYC
(now the Lackawanna College Student Union Building). By all accounts,
the move was wildly successful as huge crowds surpassing 3,500 were
on hand for all the action. Mark Bevacqua (Holy Cross) paced the Crusaders
past Scranton in the semi-final by netting 24 points and grabbing 13
rebounds in a 57-48 win over the Knights. Dunmore got a combined 28
points from Jake Rowland and Matt Maldonato and hung on for a tough,
physical win over Scranton Prep, 56-54 (Pat Mineo scored 20 for the
Cavaliers). In the championship game, Holy Cross jumped out to a controlling
35-17 halftime lead bolstered by the sensational passing of Brett Podhyski
and the hot shooting of Louis Cipriano (21 points) to defeat Dunmore,
68-47. In the consolation, Tim Lavelle (19 points) nailed a clutch three
to seal the victory for Scranton Prep, who had a team total of 9 treys
on the night. Adam Shroth had 16 points for the Cavaliers.
In the 43rd McGrane Tourney at the Wyoming Valley CYC, Holy Redeemer opted to
not participate in the opening round in honor of their fallen classmate,
Ian Pope, who was tragically killed in a car accident on December 23.
That resulted in a forfeit against Hanover Area. In the other semi-final,
GAR got 19 from Mike Polakoski and 16 from Ryan Womack in a 60-47 win
over Pittston (Dan Irvin had 19 for the Patriots). The Grenadiers kept
the momentum going into the championship game, but Hanover gave them
everything they could handle before GAR got a 54-51 win at the buzzer
courtesy of a trey by freshman Shaliek Powell. Hanover got 24 points
from Rich Colorusso and got a tremendous learning experience despite
several critical late turnovers. In the consolation matchup, Holy Redeemer
broke open a 46-46 tie after three periods to defeat Pittston 68-48
as Pete Alexis scored 24 for the Royals.
Down in Hazleton, the Cougar Classic again went to the home team as Hazleton first defeated
Harley-Allendale (NY) 73-56 as Paris Cleveland and Danny Maguschak each
scored 18 while Adam Davis contributed 12. In the title matchup the
Cougars won a thrilling 3OT game by hitting 8 of 11 free throws and
slipping past Abington (4-5) from District 1, 79-75. Paris Cleveland
again had a huge game scoring 26, Maguschak netted 20 and Adam Davis
14. For Abington, Ken Johnson led the way with 23 on their all-underclassman
roster. Pleasant Valley captured the consy over Harley-Allendale, 73-34.
In Wilkes-Barre, at the Coughlin Tourney, Abington Heights got a combined 25 points from Ryan
Vassil and Eric Hardaway to roll over Meyers 67-22. Sean Bieski scored
20 in the other semi-final for Nanticoke, but it was not enough as Coughlin
defeated the Trojans 48-32. In the championship game, Abington Heights
took a 29-18 halftime lead and got a sold effort from Ross Danzig (17
points) in their 54-46 win over the Crusaders. In the consolation, Nanticoke
nailed 15 of their 19 free throws and defeated Meyers 52-50 behind the
scoring of Sean Bieski (28 points). Keyton Winder netted 22 for the
Mohawks in the loss.
At the Taylor Lions Tourney, West Scranton got a big 46-27 opening round win over Tunkhannock as
Tom Horan scored 24. Riverside, a steadily improving squad, rolled over
MMI Prep in the second half (after the Preppers led 19-17) to advance
with a 55-30 win. In the title game, Riverside used an intense, relentless
pressure defense to create 19 turnovers and defeat West Scranton 38-30
as Chris Bergamino netted 14 points for the Vikes. In the consy, MMI
Prep rallied from a 24-15 first quarter deficit to play even with the
Tigers before falling 60-55. Tyler Breznisky scored 16 points while
Mike Papi, Ryan McCarthy, and Sameal Hill combined for 42 points for
Tunkhannock.
At the 27th Crossin Tourney played at WVW, the host Spartans advanced with a 59-43
win over Lake-Lehman as Ali Muhammed and Eugene Lewis each scored 16.
Princeton Day Academy (NJ) rolled over Wyalusing 84-30 in the other
semi. Princeton Day then built a 12 point halftime lead in the title
game and coasted to a 77-41 win over Wyoming Valley West. Lake-Lehman
rebounded by defeating Wyalusing 45-34 in the consolation as Mike Eckman
netted 24.
In the Munley Tournament played at Crestwood, the host Comets jumped out to a 20-4 lead after
the first period and defeated Northwest 57-30 as Adam Fazzino scored
17. Hope Charter advanced over Egg Harbor (NJ) in the other semi 66-59.
In the title game, Fazzini exploded for 31 points (Chris Vega, Kyle
Bogumil each added 11) in a 60-46 win over Hope Charter. Egg Harbor
took the consy, 55-40 over Northwest.
At the Forest City Rotary Tourney, Forest City defeated St. Rose Academy 50-16 while
Mt. View rolled over Western Wayne 62-37 in the other semi. The Foresters
grabbed the championship with a 68-56 win over the Eagles as Jesse Walsh
scored 23 and Ian White added 25. Western Wayne got their first win
of the year with a 33-24 consy win over St. Rose.
In the Pete Turonis Carbondale Tourney, the host Chargers advanced with a 57-49 win over
Mid Valley as Michael Torch netted 14. Valley View got 23 from Kyle
Colachino in the other semi-final, a 60-52 win over Lakeland. In the
championship game, John Strauss played through an injured right hand
to score 18 points along with 21 from Colachino in their 68-41 win over
Carbondale. Mid Valley bounced back to take the consolation, 61-43,
over Lakeland.
In the 39th James Akens Tourney played at North Pocono, the 3-team event had North
Pocono taking on both the winner and loser of the first round game between
Lackawanna Trail and Pocono Mountain East. PM-East got 22 points from
Kyheim Hall in their 75-54 win over Trail (the Lions got a great game
from Bob Pacholek, 20 points, and Chris Lemon, 17 points). North Pocono
got 20 points from Eric Steinmetz and actually held a 31-27 lead over
PM-East, but dropped a 69-53 second round game to the Cardinals. In
the final round game, Lackawanna trail tied the game at 39 on a Chris
Lemon trey with 8 ticks left, but Eric Steinmetz responded with a 3-point
play of his own with one second left to secure the 42-39 victory.
In other tourney action, at the 49th
Honesdale Jaycees Tourney, Nazareth
defeated Wallenpaupack in the title game, 60-35 while Honesdale took
the consolation over Western Wayne, 54-17. Delaware Valley dropped the
championship of the 32nd Rotary Tourney
to East Stroudsburg North 53-31. At the River Tourney
played at Selinsgrove, Berwick dropped a semi-final game to the Seals
55-37. There was no score reported on their consy game against Shikellamy.
West Side Tech took the championship of the Thomas Feeney
Memorial, 59-58 over Weatherly, as Adam Hurst scored 23 and
rallied his team from a 21-10 deficit after the first quarter.
At the Wyoming Area Holiday Tourney, Henry Messinger scored 20 points for Dallas in their
50-45 semi-final win over Old Forge. Wyoming Area rolled over St. Michaels,
61-30, in the other semi. In the title game, Wyoming Area bolted out
to a 12-0 lead and withstood a Dallas comeback (29-27 after three periods)
to defeat the Mountaineers 49-41. Bernard Edmonds scored 18 for the
Warriors while Dave Mizzer added 13. In the consolation, Old Forge jumped
out to a 17-3 first quarter lead and defeated St. Michaels 69-25.
At the Susquehanna County Tourney played at Elk Lake, Montrose had an excellent two
games. First, they got 26 points and 15 rebounds from Rob Volk and 1
from Alan Charles to defeat Blue Ridge, 72-29. In the other semi, Jeff
Madrak scored 28 as Elk Lake defeated Susquehanna 55-44 (Brandon Stone
scored 23 for the Sabers). In the championship game, Montrose gave Elk
Lake their first loss of the season, 39-37 as the Meteors held high-scorer
Jeff Madrak to only 7 points and only 18 of 33 free throws. Blue Ridge
got 30 points from Kurt post in their consolation 71-64 win over Susquehanna.
Finally, out in Billtown, a marquee lineup of teams
in the Williamsport Holiday Tournament
had the Magic Dome buzzing. In the opening round, the Millionaires may
not have played their best game, but they still delivered the first
season loss to Owen J. Roberts (Pottstown area) by a 79-63 score as
Darryl Worthy netted 18 and Dontahe Jordan added 14. That set up a title
matchup with Penn Wood, a team that many consider a frontrunner for
4A state gold this season. The Cherry and White played even through
three periods, but lost some critical possessions with 12 final period
turnovers and dropped 72-57 loss to Penn Wood (who got 20 points from
their sensational floor leader, Tyree Johnson). The Millionaires added
wins over State College (53-37) and Pocono Mountain East (66-40). The
win over the Cardinals (7-2) was surprisingly easy as Dontahe Jordan
scored 26 points in the Pottsville showcase last Saturday.
LLHOOPS NORTHEAST BEAT BOYS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Paris Cleveland (6-2
junior) for Hazleton has been playing excellent basketball. Paris scored
21 points in a key WVC Division 1 win over WVW and then helped the Cougars
capture their holiday tournament with wins over Harley-Allendale (18
points) and Abington in triple overtime (26 points).
Chris Bergamino (5-10
senior) helped Riverside to three wins. First, Chris scored 12 points
in a 49-37 win over Lakeland. Then, he scored 15 points in a big win
over MMI Prep and 14 in a key win over previously undefeated West Scranton
to grab the Taylor Lions Tourney title.
DISTRICT 2 BOYS BASKETBALL STANDINGS AND ANALYSIS
WYOMING VALLEY CONFERENCE
DIVISION 1
Crestwood (1-0 first half, 8-1 overall)
Hazleton Area (1-0, 7-2)
Tunkhannock (0-1, 4-4)
Pittston (0-1, 4-5)
Wyoming Valley West (0-1, 3-7)
Expected frontrunners Hazleton and Crestwood both got
out of the gate with division wins, although the Cougars had a lot more
drama in their victory. Hazleton found themselves trailing after three
periods against Wyoming Valley West (43-42), but outscored the Spartans
24 to 10 in the final period to win, 66-53. Paris Cleveland scored 21
for the Cougars and Ali Muhammed netted 26 for WVW. The Cougars also
got an exhibition win over a solid Altoona team as they held high-scorer
Alex Raymond to only 6 points (14 points below his average). Hazleton
had a 32-21 lead before the Mountain Lions rallied to tie the game at
34 early in the final period. Crestwood rolled over a roster-depleted
Pittston lineup, 70-40, as the Comets used a total team effort to defeat
the Patriots. Upcoming big games include WVW traveling to Crestwood
tonight while Hazleton hosts a much improved Tunkhannock squad. On Thursday,
Hazleton hosts Pittston. The big showdown occurs Saturday night when
Crestwood entertains Hazleton. As always, get there early for that one
to get a seat. In other non-league action, WVW defeated Quakertown 52-46
as Adam Fleisher scored 24 points.
DIVISION 2
Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (1-0 first half, 8-2 overall)
Dallas (1-0, 8-2)
Wyoming Area (1-0, 7-2)
Holy Redeemer (0-1, 5-5)
Berwick (0-1, 0-7)
Wilkes-Barre Coughlin pulled off an impressive upset,
defeating Holy Redeemer 43-41 in a game that was rescheduled. The Crusaders
played a terrific zone defense on Pete Alexis, limiting him to only
13 points and 14 rebounds. Coughlin led 27-14 at halftime and was able
to deflect a pass into Alexis in the closing seconds to preserve the
win. Wyoming Area continues to play very well and defeated Berwick 66-31.
The Warriors also got a 52-41 non-league win over Wyoming Seminary as
Bernard Edmonds scored 31 points. Dallas got 19 from Henry Messinger
in their crossover win over Tunkhannock, 45-41. Upcoming, there are
several key crossover games against Division 1 opponents which will
likely decide the first half championship. Coughlin hosts Dallas tonight
before hosting WVW in a crossover Saturday. Holy Redeemer plays at Wyoming
Area tonight, heads to Dallas Thursday, and had a huge crossover game
at Crestwood next Tuesday. Wyoming Area has a pair of very difficult
crossovers, traveling to WVW Thursday before hosting Hazleton next Tuesday.
DIVISION 3
Wilkes-Barre GAR (1-0 first half, 7-2 overall)
Nanticoke (1-0, 5-5)
Lake-Lehman (1-0, 4-5)
Hanover (0-1, 1-8)
Wilkes-Barre Meyers (0-1, 1-9)
GAR defeated crosstown rival Meyers 54-50 as Mike Polakoski
scored 19 to rally the Grenadiers from a 33-27 halftime deficit. Nanticoke
rolled over St. Michaels 77-34 and Lake-Lehman got 21 points from Mike
Eckman in their 54-49 win over Hanover. The big game in the division
will take place tonight as Tuesday as Nanticoke hosts GAR.
DIVISION 4
MMI Prep (1-0 first half, 4-3 overall)
Northwest (1-0, 4-6)
West Side Tech (0-1, 3-4)
St. Michaels (0-1, 1-3)
Wyoming Seminary (0-1, 1-6)
Northwest defeated Wyoming Seminary 35-31 and MMI Prep
got by West Side Tech 66-32 to stay atop the division standings. MMI
finds themselves involved in three key games this week. First, they
host Lake-Lehman Tuesday in a crossover game before entertain Wyoming
Seminary on Thursday. The Preppers then head to Northwest to battle
the Rangers next Tuesday.
LACKAWANNA LEAGUE
DIVISION 1
Abington Heights (2-0 first half, 8-1 overall)
West Scranton (1-0, 7-1)
Scranton Prep (1-0, 7-2)
North Pocono (1-1, 6-4)
Honesdale (1-1, 4-6)
Scranton (1-1, 3-7)
Wallenpaupack (0-2, 5-6)
Delaware Valley (0-2, 1-8)
Abington Heights is atop the division with an undefeated
mark. The Comets needed a second half surge to rally past Scranton 52-49
as Ross Danzig and Dan Smith combined for 28 points. Then they stormed
out to a 19-2 first quarter lead over Delaware Valley to win 72-45.
Danzig netted 26, Smith 15, and Eric Hardaway 14 in the victory. Scranton
bounced back with a 65-56 win over North Pocono as Willie Knight netted
19. West Scranton had their showdown with Scranton Prep halted in the
first quarter due to wet floor conditions from a roof leak, but secured
a 51-27 win over Wallenpaupack as Ethan Dunn and Tom Horan each scored
13. Scranton Prep got 20 from Adam Shroth and a combined 30 from Pat
Mineo and Tim Lavelle in their 74-46 win over Honesdale (Sean Curran
had 20 for the Hornets). Tonight, North Pocono travels to Prep in a
key game. On Friday, Prep hosts crosstown rival Scranton and Wallenpaupack
heads to play Abington Heights. Next Tuesday, a pair of games highlight
the schedule as Scranton Prep hosts rival Abington Heights and North
Pocono travels to West Scranton.
DIVISION 2
Holy Cross (2-0 first half, 8-0 overall)
Dunmore (2-0, 5-4)
Valley View (2-0, 5-5)
Riverside (1-1, 5-5)
Carbondale (1-1, 2-8)
Mid Valley (0-2, 5-5)
Old Forge (0-2, 4-6)
Lakeland (0-2, 1-8)
Holy Cross got a pair of lopsided wins last week. First,
they defeated Lakeland 76-41 as Mark Bevacqua and Rob Weber combined
for 35 points. Then the Crusaders got by Mid Valley 66-23 as the same
scoring duo netted a combined 30 points. Dunmore, a team that is playing
terrific basketball right now, defeated Old Forge 51-32 and Riverside
39-37 as Mike Ehnot scored 14 points. The Bucks got the close win, despite
only hitting 7 of 18 free throws. Valley View also kept pace with the
division leaders by defeating Old Forge (54-40) and Carbondale (61-40).
The Cougars got superb scoring efforts from Kyle Colachino, who scored
24 points in each win. Riverside bounded back from their loss to Dunmore
by outscoring Lakeland 16-2 in the third period on their way to a 49-37
win. This week Holy Cross faces a pair of physical teams who really
cause havoc for opposing coaches. First the Crusaders head to play at
Riverside this Tuesday before taking on crosstown rival Dunmore on the
road next Tuesday. And donŐt forget about their Saturday afternoon matchup
against state ranked Communications Tech at Marywood University. Valley
View plays at Dunmore this Tuesday before hosting Riverside on Friday
night.
DIVISION 3
Elk Lake (2-0 first half, 8-1 overall)
Mountain View (2-0, 5-3)
Blue Ridge (1-1, 5-2)
Montrose (1-1, 5-2)
Forest City (1-1, 4-5)
Lackawanna Trail (1-1, 3-5)
Susquehanna (0-2, 4-5)
Western Wayne (0-2, 1-8)
Elk Lake stayed atop the division with wins over Forest
City and Susquehanna. In their 66-61 win over Forest City, Jeff Madrak
scored 23 and Sean Morahan netted 19 (Jesse Walsh had 25 for the Foresters).
In their 69-21 win over Susquehanna, Madrak contributed 21 points. Mountain
View kept pace by getting by Montrose, 49-39, and Blue Ridge, 51-35
as Dave Corbin scored 10. Elsewhere, Nic Baldo scored 21 for Western
Wayne, but lost to Blue Ridge, 64-35. Jake
Bedford scored 22 and Bobby Pacholec 19 in a 62-42
Lackawanna Trail win over Susquehanna. Upcoming key games include Blue
Ridge hosting Montrose this Tuesday. On Friday, Mt. View travels to
play Forest City and Elk Lake hosts Blue Ridge. Next Tuesday, Mt. View
hosts Elk Lake.
GIRLS BASKETBALL GIRLS BASKETBALL
GIRLS BASKETBALL
THIS WEEKS DISTRICT 2 GIRLS TOP 10
1. Hazleton
(9-1) 4A
2. Holy Redeemer
(8-2) 3A
3. Dunmore (9-1)
2A
4. Abington
Heights (6-3) 3A
5. Wilkes-Barre
Coughlin (9-2) 3A
6. Holy Cross
(9-0) 2A
7. Old Forge
(9-1) 1A
8. Berwick (9-1)
3A
9. Lake-Lehman
(9-1) 2A
10. Valley View (8-2) 3A
OTHERS TO WATCH
Forest City (5-2), Mid Valley (8-3), Montrose (5-4),
Nanticoke (7-2), North Pocono (6-3), Pittston (5-5), Riverside (6-5),
Scranton (5-6), Scranton Prep (5-4), Wallenpaupack (6-5), Williamsport
(6-5), Wyoming Valley West (6-4)
UPCOMING DISTRICT 2 TOP GIRLS GAMES
WEDNESDAY, 1/7
Hazleton at Pittston (WVC Division 1)
Berwick at Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (WVC Division 2)
MMI Prep at Wyoming Seminary (WVC Division 4)
THURSDAY, 1/8
Scranton Prep at Scranton (Lackawanna Division 1)
Abington Hts. at Wallenpaupack (Lackawanna Division
1)
Valley View at Riverside (Lackawanna Division 2)
Mid Valley at Dunmore (Lackawanna Division 2)
Forest City at Mt. View (Lackawanna Division 3)
Williamsport at Selinsgrove
FRIDAY, 1/9
Coughlin at Wyoming V. West (WVC 1/2 crossover)
Crestwood at Hazleton (WVC Division 1)
Holy Redeemer at Berwick (WVC Division 2)
Nanticoke at Lake-Lehman (WVC Division 3)
Wyoming Seminary at Meyers (WVC 3/4 crossover)
SATURDAY, 1/10
Abington Heights at East Stroudsburg South
Williamsport at Bellefonte
MONDAY, 1/12
Wyoming V. West at Pittston (WVC Division 1)
Crestwood at Holy Redeemer (WVC 1/2 crossover)
Lake-Lehman at Meyers (WVC Division 3)
Scranton Prep at Abington Hts. (Lackawanna Division
1)
Riverside at Mid Valley (Lackawanna Division 2)
Dunmore at Holy Cross (Lackawanna Division 2)
Williamsport at Shikellamy
DISTRICT 2 GIRLS HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT RECAPS
As was the case on the boys side, the Lynett Memorial
Tourney, featured several of the
top girls programs in District 2. In the opening round game, Jamie Halloran
controlled the boards and led Abington Heights to a 51-36 win over Scranton
Prep. In the other semi, Dunmore got 29 points from Lauren Carra and
17 from Ashley Muuray (and also survived some foul trouble by Tayler
Pallotta) to defeat a spirited effort from Scranton, 65-62. For the
Lady Knights, Liz Borgia netted 26 points and Terika Turner pulled down
18 rebounds. In the championship game, Dunmore rallied with a 17-2 run
after trailing 35-28 and got their first tourney championship, 51-45
over Abington Heights. Carra had another fine game scoring 19 and grabbing
14 rebounds. In the consolation, Sara Walsh scored 23 points and Scranton
Prep rallied from a 15-6 first quarter deficit to get by Scranton 71-64.
Emily Baldacci continues to be one of the better young players in the
area and contributed 20 points.
At the Lou Camoni Tourney played at Valley View, Mid Valley rallied behind 16 points from Danielle
Terranella to defeat Carbondale 45-31. Valley View took the other semi,
47-41 over Lakeland as Rebecca Keegan netted 14. In the championship
game, there was a thrilling finish. Terranella hit a basket with 6 seconds
left to give Mid Valley a 39-38 lead before Rebecca Keegan grabbed a
rebound and converted the putback at the buzzer for the 40-39 win over
the previously undefeated Spartanettes. Mid Valley only hit 13 of their
30 free throws. In the consolation, Carbondale got 17 points from Brittany
Mang to defeat Lakeland 43-35.
At the North Pocono Christmas Tourney, Julie Kosin scored 30 points in a Holy Cross 59-45
semi-final win over Pocono Mountain East. In the other semi, Wyoming
Valley West went on a 19-2 run in the second quarter to defeat North
Pocono. Tara Zdancewicz scored 23 and Sami Himlin netted 16 in the win.
In the title game, Holy Cross rallied from a 22-17 halftime deficit
and defeated 4A WVW 48-45 as Julie Kosin scored 23. North Pocono won
the consy over PM-East 38-29 as Nancy Dunn scored 13.
At the Pittston Holiday Tourney, Kim Kaville and Sarah Fife combined for 22 points
in a 43-22 semi-final win over Meyers. Pittston won the other semi,
53-49 over Wyoming Area as Lauren Smisherko hit an amazing 19 of 25
free throws in the win. The title went to Old Forge as they got by Pittston,
33-23. In the consolation, Wyoming Area rallied from a 33-26 deficit
after three periods to defeat Meyers, 40-39, as Allie Scalzo scored
15.
At the Munley Tourney
played at Crestwood, Coughlin ran out to a 19-2 lead after the first
period and defeated Lake-Lehman 53-38. Crestwood got 14 from Carissa
Gegaris to defeat Hanover in the other semi, 53-39. In the championship
game, Jordan Britt scored 14 and Kacee Rava added 10 in a Coughlin 46-33
win over Crestwood. Selena Adamshick scored 24 as Lake-Lehman captured
the consy, 58-38 over Hanover.
Hazleton ventured out to the Punxsutawney Tournament and came away with a semi-final win over Marion Center
66-52 as Madelyn Ludwig scored 19 and Alyssa Flanagan had 18. The Lady
Cougars also came away with the overall championship by defeating William
Tennent 49-25 as Melanie Palko scored 12.
At the Taylor Lions Tourney, Nanticoke broke open a close game after three periods to roll over West
Scranton 43-22. Riverside got 18 points from Morgann Haduck in the other
semi to get by Montrose 56-43. The Lady Vikes then got an impressive
title win over Nanticoke 53-45 as Hadusck scored 14, Jess Segilia netted
13, and Angela Dente scored 12. For Nanticoke, Morgan Thomas and Sami
Gow combined for 26 points. West Scranton rebounded to take the consy
over Montrose, 47-36 as Sabrina Coleman scored 14 for the Lady Invaders.
At the Honesdale Jaycees Tourney, Forest City was down 17-4 after the first period,
but rallied behind 22 points by Kiersten Collins to defeat Wallenpaupack
52-50. Honesdale defeated Western Wayne in the other semi, 48-40. In
the title game, Honesdale got 15 from Marisa Gallik to defeat Forest
City, 40-31. Paupack defeated Western Wayne in the consy, 50-35.
Elsewhere, Delaware Valley trailed by only 1 point
at halftime, but dropped the championship game of the DV Rotary Tourney to East Stroudsburg North, 45-35. Berwick took the
championship of the Judy Knorr Holiday event by defeating Bloomsburg
and St. Pius X (Katlin Michaels scored 18). Mountain View got 21 from
Alex Lynn and 16 from Sara Evans to defeat Elk Lake in the Susquehanna
County Tourney (Blue Ridge defeated Susquehanna 47-40 in the consy as
Findley and Dearborn combined for 29 points). Holy Redeemer played in
the post new year Big Spring Tourney
and came away with the championship by defeating Mechanicsburg (53-41)
and Big Spring (53-22). Monica Wignot scored a combined 32 points in
the two wins. Dallas dropped two games in the Cardinal Classic
played at Pine Grove, 63-43 to Pine Grove and 37-31 to Blue Mountain.
Williamsport won the Montoursville Tourney
with some solid shooting and intense defense in wins over Montgomery
(49-23) and Montoursville (45-26). Of note is that the Lady Millionaires
are fast approaching the 12-win plateau needed to qualify for district
playoffs (very impressive after their disappointing 2 win season last
year). Northwest dropped two games in the Benton Tourney,
47-43 to Sullivan (Sara Stepanski scored 14) and 49-48 to Benton (Jessalyn
Engle scored 19). In the Wyalusing Tourney,
Tunkhannock dropped a semi-final game to Northeast Bradford (54-47)
and there was no score reported on their consolation matchup against
Elkland. In the Thomas Feeney Memorial, Lackawanna Trail defeated St. Rose 50-26 in the title
game (Weatherly defeated West Side Tech in the consolation 53-7).
LLHOOPS NORTHEAST BEAT GIRLS PLAYERS OF THE
WEEK
Monica Wignot
(6-2 junior) for Holy Redeemer helped pace the Lady Royals to three
wins over the holidays. Monica scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds
in a key WVC Division 2 win over Wilkes-Barre Coughlin, 57-41. She also
helped lead her team to the championship at the Big Spring Tourney,
scoring a combined 32 points in their two wins.
Rebecca Keegan (Valley
View) helped the Lady Cougars win three games over the holiday. First,
Rebecca scored 25 points, pulled down 15 rebounds, and blocked 13 shots
in a 46-45 Lackawanna Division 2 win over Carbondale. She then guided
her team to a championship in the Camoni Tournament with wins over Lakeland
(14 points) and previously undefeated Mid Valley by hitting the winning
shot at the buzzer (plus 18 points, 14 rebounds).
DISTRICT 2 GIRLS BASKETBALL STANDINGS AND
ANALYSIS
WYOMING VALLEY CONFERENCE
DIVISION 1
Hazleton Area (2-0 first half, 9-1 overall)
Wyoming Valley West (1-1, 6-4)
Pittston (1-1, 5-5)
Tunkhannock (0-2, 5-5)
Crestwood (0-2, 4-6)
Hazleton is out to a quick start with a come from behind
35-32 win over Wyoming Valley West and a 60- 30 win over Tunkhannock.
The Lady Cougars also got dropped a 49-41 non-league loss to state-ranked
Bethlehem Liberty at the Pottsville Showcase last Saturday. The game
was very sloppy (46 total turnovers) and Hazleton played without one
of their starters (Melanie Palko) who was injured in a car accident.
WVW rebounded with a 71-36 win over Crestwood. The Lady Spartans also
had an impressive 73-50 win over Williamsport in an exhibition game
(Sara Klick netted 31 and Sami Himlin had 22 for WVW). Pittston dropped
a crossover loss to Berwick, 47-35. Upcoming key games include Hazleton
traveling to Pittston Wednesday before hosting Crestwood Friday night.
WVW hosts Coughlin in a big crossover game Friday night and on Monday
WVW heads to play Pittston.
DIVISION 2
Berwick (2-0 first half, 9-1 overall)
Holy Redeemer (2-0, 8-2)
Wilkes-Barre Coughlin (1-1, 9-2)
Dallas (1-1, 3-7)
Wyoming Area (0-2, 5-5)
Berwick and Holy Redeemer lead the way with 2-0 marks.
Berwick defeated Wyoming Area 37-29 as Katlin Michaels scored 18 and
also defeated Pittston, 47-35. Holy Redeemer pulled away from Coughlin
with a 9-0 second quarter run to defeat the Lady Crusaders, 57-41 (Monica
Wignot scored 21 points). The Lady Royals also got by Wyoming Area,
52-20. In non-league action, Coughlin got a 52-34 win over Delaware
Valley as Kacee Rava and Lauren McGinley combined for 29 points. Dallas
got 17 points from Jessica Flaherty in a 48-42 win over Marian Catholic.
Nanticoke got 16 from Jen Harnishfeger and 15 from Morgan Thomas as
they defeated Mt. Carmel 54-40. The Lady Trojans also added a win over
Northwest, 68-35 as Sami Gow netted 18. This week, Berwick finds themselves
involves in a pair of showdowns which will likely decide the first half
momentum. The Lady Dawgs travel to Coughlin Wednesday night before hosting
Holy Redeemer in a showdown on Friday.
DIVISION 3
Lake-Lehman (2-0 first half, 9-1 overall)
Nanticoke (1-0, 7-2)
Hanover (1-1, 3-7)
Wilkes-Barre Meyers (1-1, 3-8)
Wilkes-Barre GAR (0-2, 0-10)
Lake-Lehman defeated Hanover (56-38) and MMI Prep (44-26)
to lead the division. Meyers got by crosstown rival GAR 56-25, but dropped
a 49-33 loss to Hanover. Nanticoke notched a win over GAR 67-26. Lake-Lehman
has a pair of critical upcoming games as they host Nanticoke Friday
and play at Meyers next Tuesday.
DIVISION 4
Wyoming Seminary (1-0 first half, 3-5 overall)
MMI Prep (1-1, 3-8)
Northwest (1-1, 2-10)
West Side Tech (0-2, 0-6)
Wyoming Seminary got by Northwest 50-46 and MMI Prep
split their pair of games. Seminary hosts MMI Prep Wednesday night before
Meyers hosts a pivotal crossover game Friday against Seminary.
LACKAWANNA LEAGUE
DIVISION 1
Abington Heights (3-0 first half, 6-3 overall)
North Pocono (2-1, 6-3)
Scranton Prep (2-1, 5-4)
Scranton (2-1, 5-6)
Wallenpaupack (1-2, 6-5)
Honesdale (1-2, 5-6)
West Scranton (1-2, 4-6)
Delaware Valley (0-3, 2-8)
Abington Heights lead the way with a 3-0 record. The
Lady Comets rallied for a win over Scranton 35-32, rolled over Delaware
Valley (6-23) and also defeated Honesdale 62-43 Monday night. Scranton
rebounded with wins over North Pocono, 39-28 as Liz Borgia netted 16.
The Lady Knights also got by Paupack on Monday night, 53-45. Scranton
Prep is one game back after getting a win over West Scranton (56-31),
but dropping a 48-36 loss to North Pocono. North Pocono is also a game
back after also defeating Paupack 37-34. The Lady Trojans also added
a non-league win over Susquehanna 71-41 (Christy Glidden scored 22 for
the Lady Sabers). Upcoming games include Scranton hosting Scranton Prep
Thursday night. Abington Heights travels to play Wallenpaupack Thursday
before hosting Prep next Monday. The Lady Comets also have a non-league
game at East Stroudsburg South on Saturday.
DIVISION 2
Holy Cross (3-0 first half, 9-0 overall)
Dunmore (3-0, 9-1)
Old Forge (2-1, 9-1)
Mid Valley (1-2, 8-3)
Valley View (1-2, 8-3)
Riverside (1-2, 6-5)
Carbondale (0-2, 4-5)
Lakeland (0-2, 1-8)
Holy Cross and Dunmore lead the way, with Old Forge
just a game back. Holy Cross defeated Lakeland 69-43 as Julie Kosin
scored 28 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. The Lady Crusaders also
deliver another last second defeat to Mid Valley as Kayla Sileo hit
a game winning shot at the buzzer to win 48-47 (Kosin scored 23). Holy
Cross then recorded am impressive 67-54 win over Riverside Monday night.
Dunmore shook off a sluggish start to get by Riverside 45-41 as Lauren
Carra netted 19. The Lady Bucks also defeated Old Forge 53-32 as they
dominated the boards. The Bucks have been playing very well and are
one of the best passing teams in the area, but have been getting into
some foul trouble early. Dunmore added a 59-37 win over Valley View
Monday night. Old Forge got a big win over Valley View as Kim Kaville
scored 18. The Lady Blue Devils added a 33-25 win over Mid Valley Monday
night. Elsewhere, Valley View got a huge game from Rebecca Keegan in
their win over Carbondale and Riverside got 22 from Jess Segilia and
21 from Angela Dente in their win over Lakeland. This week, on Thursday
Riverside hosts Valley View and Dunmore entertains Mid Valley. Next
Monday, Riverside plays at Mid Valley and Dunmore hosts Holy Cross in
a pivotal crosstown showdown on division frontrunners.
DIVISION 3
Forest City (3-0 first half, 5-2 overall)
Montrose (3-0, 5-4)
Mountain View (2-1, 4-5)
Western Wayne (2-1, 2-8)
Lackawanna Trail (1-2, 5-6)
Elk Lake (1-2, 3-6)
Blue Ridge (0-3, 5-6)
Susquehanna (0-3, 2-9)
Forest City got wins over Elk Lake (49-41), Western
Wayne (40-34), and Lackawanna Trail (40-26) to lead the division, along
with Montrose. Montrose got by Lackawanna Trail (62-49) and Blue Ridge
(44-22) Monday night. Mountain View got the second straight win 60-43
over Susquehanna. They previously defeated Blue Ridge 67-44 as Sara
Evans netted 20 (Morgann Ragard scored 23 for BR). This week, Mountain
View hosts Forest City on Thursday in a key matchup.
ThatŐs it for this edition of the NEP Beat. See you
next time!
Question or Comments, email us at LLHoops.NEP-Beat@att.net
Jon K.
Jon K.