Lauren Charlton and Bella Hill led Dallas down the stretch Friday night, securing the team’s first district championship game appearance in 17 years and first state tournament berth in 16 years.
Charlton hit the basket that forced overtime where she came up with the game-winning layup with 25 seconds left to lift the Mountaineers over Berwick, 41-40, in a District 2 Class 4A girls basketball semifinal at Wyoming Area High School.
The Mountaineers played from behind almost the entire game.
Hill gave Dallas its only other lead and only other points of overtime with a 3-pointer for a 39-38 advantage. Her only scoring came on 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Charlton had 9 of her team-leading 11 points after halftime.
Berwick led 16-13 at halftime and 24-20 through three quarters.
Julia Kocher had five points during the fourth-quarter comeback.
Morgan MacNeely, Haley Habrack and Deanna Wallace all had 3-pointers in the first quarter to get Dallas through the first eight minutes tied at 9-9. The Mountaineers then managed just four points in the second quarter and a single field goal, Charlton’s only 3-pointer, in the third.
Katie Starr led Berwick with 19 points.
Morgan Nevel finished with nine points, including five in the fourth quarter.
Dallas heads to the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza for the first time to play in Thursday’s 6 p.m. final against unbeaten Scranton Prep.
Berwick (15-9) will play Nanticoke for third place Tuesday night at Pittston Area for the final District 2 berth in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association tournament.
Scranton Prep 71, Nanticoke 29
Cecelia Collins scored 22 points and Rachael Rose added 20 as unbeaten Scranton Prep overpowered Nanticoke at Scranton High in Class 4A.
The Classics took leads of 21-2 after one quarter and 44-9 at halftime.
Williamsport 51, Wilkes-Barre Area 49
Whitney Felix scored 15 points, including the game-winning free throws to help Williamsport overcome an outstanding game by Allycia Harris in the District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional semifinal at Berwick Middle School.
The Wolfpack had a close-range shot at the tying basket just before the final buzzer, but it bounced out.
Harris finished with 33 points and 18 rebounds.
Wilkes-Barre Area finished the first season of the combined efforts of students from Coughlin, GAR and Meyers with a 14-9 record.
Williamsport (8-14) qualified for the subregional final against Hazleton Area.
Hazleton Area 65, Scranton 47
Hazleton Area bounced back from an upset loss in the Wyoming Valley Conference overall championship game with a fast start to reach the District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional final.
The Lady Cougars ran out to a 27-6 lead after one quarter at the Berwick Middle School and hit their first seven 3-point attempts.
Hazleton Area made nine 3-pointers total, getting at least one from five different shooters.
Olivia Wolk scored a team-high 18 points.
Brooke Boretski added 11 points and Faith Grula 10.
All-state center Colette Mulderig closed her Scranton High career with 22 points.
Holy Cross 53, Northwest 23
Holy Cross put together its second straight 30-point first quarter to begin the postseason while winning the Class 2A semifinal game at Dunmore.
The Lady Crusaders led 30-5 after one quarter.
Kaci Kranson scored a game-high 19 points and Abbey Lentowski added 15 to send defending champion Holy Cross to a championship game rematch with top-seeded Old Forge.
Reagan Harrison had 13 points for the Lady Rangers, who finished 12-11.
Old Forge 77, Elk Lake 30
Olivia Ciullo scored 20 points in the game at Dunmore to help make Old Forge’s playoff opener a success.
The Lady Devils had received a bye as the top seed in the seven-team Class 2A tournament.
Old Forge outscored Elk Lake, 24-1, in the third quarter for a 64-20 lead.