Susquehannock gets past Crestwood

The Susquehannock Warriors and the Crestwood Comets came to Wilkes University's Marts Center for their first round State playoff game. Crestwood comes in as the second seed out of District 2. Susquehannock comes in as the fourth seed out of District 3. Who would come out on top in the 5A Girls matchup? Let's find out!
 The Lady Warriors and Lady Comets would have a back and forth affair in the first quarter. Susquehannock would take an 8-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Crestwood would start off the second quarter by scoring the first four points and taking an 11-8 lead. The Warriors would go on an 8-1 run to end the quarter as Susquehannock took a 16-12 halftime lead.
 The Warriors would still hold a four point lead until Crestwood went on a 5-0 run to take a 19-18 lead. After a free throw tied the game, Sara Richards would hit a three pointer for the lead once again. However, a free throw and an Anna Mahan three pointer at the buzzer would give Susquehannock a 23-22 lead at the end of the third quarter. Crestwood would start the fourth quarter with a three pointer by Julia Makowski. Susquehannock would take the lead back as Taylor Tanura would score four straight points for a 27-25 lead. After several lead changes, Susquehannock would take the lead for good as Jayla Galbreath would hit a three pointer for a 32-30 lead and Susquehannock would take the victory 38-33. The Warriors will advance to the second round of the PIAA Girls 5A Playoffs.

Thoughts on the game: It was overall a really good game. For Susquehannock, Taylor Tenura was a really good game with 10 points. For Crestwood, Julia Makowski had a good game with 16 points. It was a really good season for the Lady Comets.

Trojanettes advance with victory over Danville

The Danville Ironmen and the Nanticoke Trojanettes traveled to the Marts Center at Wilkes University to play their first round State playoff game. The Trojanettes come in as the second seed out of District 2. The Ironmen come in as the third seed out of District 4. Who would come out on top in this 4A Girls matchup? Let's get to the game!
 The Trojanettes had a blazing start by scoring the game's first 12 points. However, the Lady Ironmen would go on a 6-2 at the end of the first quarter to cut the lead to 14-6 at the end of the first quarter. The Trojanettes would hold Danville to three baskets but the Lady Ironmen would hit six free throws and Nanticoke would score eight points in the quarter and would have a 22-18 halftime lead.
 The Lady Ironmen would start the second half by decreasing the Nanticoke lead to two but a pair of free throws by Lisa Radziak and a basket by Katie Butczynski would increase their lead to 6. The Trojanettes would take a 42-31 lead at the end of the third. Nanticoke would pull away in the fourth quarter for a 42-31 victory over Danville and advance to the second round of the PIAA Girls Basketball 4A State Playoffs.

Thoughts on the game: The game looked like it would go either way. However, Nanticoke was able to pull away in the fourth. For Nanticoke, Alyssa Lewis had a really good game with 18 points as did Jil Baron with eight points and was very good rebounding.

Dallas pulls away for victory over Lower Dauphin

The Dallas Mountaineers and the Lower Dauphin Falcons traveled to Wyoming Area for the first round of the PIAA 5A Boys Basketball playoffs. The Mountaineers come in as the second seed out of District 2. The Falcons come in as the fourth seed out of District 3. Who would come out on top in this first round matchup of the state playoffs? Let's find out!
 The Falcons would go on a 6-0 run early in the first quarter for a 7-2 lead. Joey Parsons would score five straight points to tie the game at seven. Both teams would keep going at it in the first quarter and the Mountaineers would lead 18-17 at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter would be slower paced and the quarter would be even as the Mountaineers would lead 24-23 at halftime.
 The Falcons would take the lead early with a basket by Bowen. However, the Mountaineers would get a 5-0 run to lead by four. The Mountaineers would increase their lead to seven several times but the Falcons would decrease their lead four. The Mountaineers would lead 45-41 at the end of the third quarter. The Mountaineers would go on a roll in the fourth quarter as they would start off with an 8-0 run for a 53-41 lead and would cruise for a 70-54 victory over Lower Dauphin.

Thoughts on the game: It was a really fast paced game overall by both teams. Dallas overall looked really good. Jay Bittner had a great game with 22 points as did Joey Parsons with 15. For Lower Dauphin, Bowen had a really good game with 19. Overall, six players scored in double digits.

Royals get past Hughesville

The Hughesville Lady Spartans and the Holy Redeemer Lady Royals traveled to Wyoming Area High School for the first round of the 3A Girls State Playoffs. Hughesville comes in as second seed coming out of District 4. Holy Redeemer is the second seed out of District 2. Who would come out on top of this matchup of District runner-ups? Let's find out!

 Hughesville would take an early 5-4 lead midway through the first quarter but the Royals would go on a 10-0 run as the first quarter came to an end with Holy Redeemer leading 14-5. Hughesville would answer in the second quarter with a 5-0 run to cut the lead to four. The Spartans would hold the Royals to four points in the second. As the second quarter was coming to an end, Hughesville would go on a 6-0 run and tie the game at 18 as we headed to halftime.

 The Royals would start off with a quick 5-0 run and would hold Hughesville to four points in the quarter. They never looked back in the third as they would lead 34-22 at the end of the quarter. The Lady Royals would cruise after that for a 44-34 victory over Hughesville.



Thoughts on the game: The game was an interesting one. The Royals looked like late in the first quarter, they would dominate. However, Hughesville was able to tie going into halftime. Holy Redeemer would dominate in the second half. Samantha Rajza had a great game with 14 points as did Samantha Yencha, who did well in the paint and scored a game-high 16 points.

Abington Heights takes seventh District Title over Dallas

The Abington Heights Comets and the Dallas Mountaineers came to the Mohegan Sun Arena for the District 2 5A Championship game. Abington Heights is looking for their seventh straight District Championship. Dallas is looking for their first District Title in 34 years. Who would come out on top in this 5A matchup? Let's find out!
 With the game tied early at 4, Abington Heights would go on a 9-2 run and take a 13-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Comets would build a 13 point lead but Dallas wouldn't stand down. The Mountaineers would go on a 10-2 run as they would only trail 22-17 at halftime.
 The Mountaineers were hoping to get the lead but the Comets had other plans. Jack Nealon would increase the Comets lead to 10 with a three pointer. The closest the Mountaineers could get would be seven and the Comets would lead 41-27 at the end of the third. The Comets would cruise in the fourth quarter for a 61-36 victory over Dallas for their seventh straight District title.

Thoughts on the game: Congrats to Abington Heights on winning their seventh straight District title. It is an incredible accomplishment to do. Not many teams can say they've won seven straight titles. On the game, George Tinsley was impressive with 21 points as was Jack Nealon. Nealon's three point shooting propelled the Comets to the District title. For Dallas, Alex Charlton had a great game with 10 points as did Joey Parsons.

Hazleton Area dethrones Scranton as District Champs

The Hazleton Area Lady Cougars and the Scranton Lady Knights came to the Mohegan Sun Arena for the District 2 6A Championship on Sunday night. The Lady Knights are defending District Champions and look to repeat as Champions. The Cougars are looking to win their second District Title in three years. Who would come out on top in this 6A title match? Let's find out!
 The Lady Knights would start off with a 4-0 lead. However the Cougars' Virginia Yurchak would score five straight points that would highlight a 11-1 run as the Cougars would lead 11-5 at the end of the first quarter.  Scranton would cut the lead to four on a pair of free throws by Colette Mulderig but Yurchak would hit a three pointer to increase the lead to seven then Diane Garnett would get a basket to increase the lead to nine. The Lady Knights would cut the lead to four but the Lady Cougars would go on a 5-0 run to lead 25-16 at halftime.
 Scranton would try to get back into the game in the second half but the Cougars would continue to play well. They would increase their lead to 10 at the end of the third quarter. They would cruise in the fourth quarter as Hazleton Area would take a 52-37 victory over Scranton.

Thoughts on the game: Very well played game by the Cougars. Nine players hit the scoresheet for Hazleton Area. Virginia Yurchak had a great game with 13 points as did Maddie Mrochko with 11. Congrats to Hazleton Area for winning the District title. For Scranton, Kristen Hart had a great game with 13 points.

Hazleton Area takes District Title over Scranton

The Scranton Knights and Hazleton Area Cougars came to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday night for the District 2 6A Championship game. The Cougars are looking to get to the State Playoffs for the first time since 2014. The Knights are hoping to play spoiler to the top ranked Cougars and take the District Title. Who would come out on top in this 6A matchup? Let's find out!
 The Cougars would start off fast by taking a 5-0 lead then after Scranton scored two straight baskets, Hazleton Area would go on a 10-0 run for a 15-4 lead and would take a 21-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. Both teams would go back and forth during the second quarter and would go to halftime with the Cougars leading 29-17 at halftime.
 The Cougars lead in the third quarter kept fluctuating until the Cougars went on a 10-3 run around the end of the third quarter to take a 47-29 lead. The Cougars would build a 22 point lead but the Knights wouldn't quit. Scranton would go on an 18-2 run to cut the deficit to six. However, the Cougars wouldn't let the Knights complete the comeback as they hit four free throws and stopped them on the defensive side. Hazleton Area would take the District 2 6A title with 61-51 victory over Scranton.

Thoughts on the game: It was an interesting game to say the least. The Cougars looked really impressive with their height and athleticism. Also was very well balanced on the score sheet with four players in double digits and no one over 20 points. For Scranton, Ky'Ron Harbin was very impressive with 25 as well as Robbie McAndrew with 15. Congrats to Hazleton Area on their District Championship.

Abington Heights survives against Crestwood for another District Championship

The Crestwood Lady Comets and the Abington Heights Lady Comets came to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday evening to play for the District 2 5A Championship. Crestwood is playing in their first District Final since 1984. Abington Heights is going for their third straight District Title. Who would come out on top in the battle of the Comets? Red (Crestwood) or Blue (Abington Heights)? Let's find out!
 With the score 4-3 in favor of Abington Heights, the Blue Comets would go on an 8-2 run to take a 10-5 lead. Abington Heights would take an 18-9 lead at the end of the first quarter with the help of their inside game and good defense. Abington Heights would start the second quarter with a 7-0 run to increase their lead to 16. Abington Heights would take a 31-16 lead into halftime.
 Crestwood would fight back in the second half by going on a 7-0 run to start the quarter. The Red Comets would outscore Abington Heights 14-6 in the third to only trail 37-30 going into the fourth quarter. The Blue Comets would increase their lead 12 but Crestwood wouldn't stay down as they would go on a 5-0 run to cut it down to 7. Hannah Kowalski would get a basket to make it a nine point Abington Heights lead. After the Comets one of two free throws to decrease the lead to 8, Sara Richards would get a steal, get the layup and would be fouled and complete the three point play to cut the deficit down to five. Sara Hopkins would make two free throws to make it a three point lead. However, Abington Heights would prevent the comeback from happening as they would hit their free throws and take a 51-45 victory over the Crestwood Lady Comets for their third straight District Title.

Thoughts on the game: Congratulations to the Abington Heights Lady Comets for their third straight District title. For Abington Heights, Cassie Ksiazek and Hannah Kowalski had excellent games tonight. For Crestwood, they fought hard throughout the second half to hopefully get the victory but they just came up short. It was a heck of a game to be at. All three seniors played great tonight for Crestwood, each of them scoring double digit points.

Scranton Prep overcomes Valley View for fourth straight title

The Valley View Cougars and Scranton Prep Cavaliers traveled to the Mohegan Sun Arena for the 4A District Championship. The Cougars are looking to sweep the Cavaliers on the season and take the District Title. The Cavaliers are looking to avenge their previous loss and take their fourth straight District Title. Who would come out on top in this all Lackawanna League District Final? Let's find out!
 Valley View's Chase Combs would start off by hitting back-to-back three pointers for a 6-3, but free throws by Leo O'Boyle would give the Cavaliers a 7-6 lead. However, the Cougars would go on a 5-0 run before Leo O'Boyle got another lead as Valley View lead 11-9 after one quarter. Both teams would go back and forth with the lead til late in the second quarter when Valley View went on a 7-2 run as the Cougars took a 22-17 lead into halftime.
 With the Cavaliers trailing by five in the third quarte, Scranton Prep would go on a huge 14-0 run and would take a 35-28 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers lead would go as high as 17 but Valley View would not go away as they went on a 12-2 late in the fourth quarter to cut the deficit to six. However, Scranton Prep would convert their free throws and take a 54-46 victory over the Valley View Cougars for their fourth straight District title.

Thoughts on the game: Congrats to Scranton Prep on their fourth straight District Title! Valley View played really well in the first half and I can understand why they were able to hang tough with Scranton Prep the last time. The Cavaliers' Leo O'Boyle played an amazing game with 32 points. The Cougars' Marc Kudrich had a great game with 11 points.

Blue Knights take 3A District Title with victory over Holy Redeemer

The Holy Redeemer Royals and the Wyoming Seminary Blue Knights came to the Mohegan Sun Arena for the District 2 3A Championship. The Royals are looking for back-to-back District titles. The Blue Knights are looking to take down Holy Redeemer for the third time and claim the District Title. Who would come out on top in this all-WVC District Championship game? Let's find out!
 The first quarter would be a back-and-forth affair with the score being tied at 11 at the end of the first quarter. The Blue Knights' Todd Phillips would score six of their 11 points. The Royals Nick Prociak and JD Turosky would score four points each. The Royals in the second quarter would start off by scoring the first four points but a three point play by Dimitri Gnall and a basket by Phillips gave the Blue Knights a 16-15. However, the Royals would regain the lead on a three pointer by Sean Wills. However, the lead wouldn't be safe as both teams would tie the game or retake the lead. However as the end of the quarter was coming, Nicolas Bufalino would get a basket and the Royals would make one of two free throws as the Blue Knights took a 23-22 lead at halftime.
 The Royals would take the lead early in the quarter but after being silent during the first half, Jeremy Callahan would get a three pointer to fall for a 26-24 Blue Knights lead. Next possession, Collin Cook would hit a three for a 27-26 Royals lead. The Blue Knights would take the lead with a pair of free throws by Callahan and a basket by Nick Ganter for a 30-27. After Judge hit a basket, Wyoming Seminary would get their biggest lead of the night with baskets by Ganter and Phillips. The Blue Knights would take a 38-32 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Royals would try their hardest to get back into the game but they were only to cut the deficit down to seven and the Blue Knights would take the District 2 3A Championship with a 56-39 win over the Holy Redeemer Royals.

Thoughts on the game: First off, congratulations to Wyoming Seminary for winning the District Championship. On to the game, it was a pretty close game for a half. However, the Blue Knights played a great second half and pulled away for the victory. The Blue Knights' Todd Phillips had a great game with 16 points as did Dimitri Gnall with 15. For the Royals, Joey Judge had a good game with 13 points.

Second half surge propels Classics to District Title over Nanticoke

The Nanticoke Trojanettes and the Scranton Prep Lady Classics came to the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza for the District 2 4A Championship game. The Trojanettes are looking for back-to-back District titles. Scranton Prep is looking for their first District Title since 2014. Who would come out on top and take the District Championship? Let's find out!
 The Classics would start off quick by taking a 6-0 lead but the Trojanettes would answer with a three point play by Alyssa Lewis and a three pointer by Mady Grilz to tie the game and Lauren Casey would give Nanticoke the lead at 8-6. Classics freshman Rachel Rose would tie the game at 8 with a basket. Bella Czeck and Lewis would give Nanticoke a 12-8 lead. Before the buzzer sounded, Elisa Penetar would hit a basket as the Trojanettes took a 12-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Classics would outscore Nanticoke 7-2 that quarter as Scranton Prep would take a 17-14 lead at halftime.
 Nanticoke started the second half with six straight points for a 20-17 lead but the Classics would go on a 16-2 to lead 33-22 at the end of the third quarter. The Classics would build that momentum from that third quarter to propel them to the District title as took a 45-29 victory over the defending champion Nanticoke Trojanettes.

Thoughts on the game: For most of the game, it looked very even and it would come down to the wire. However, a huge Scranton Prep run would propel them to the District Title. As for players, Elisa Penetar of Scranton Prep had a really good game with 21 points. For Nanticoke, Alyssa Lewis had a good game with 12 points. Congratulations to Scranton Prep on their District Championship.