By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
FORMAT: There are three rounds with only the champion advancing to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament, which has been modified for this season only because of the coronavirus pandemic. The district tournament has also been altered to allow higher-seeded teams to host in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
2020 RECAP: West Scranton ended a four-year Abington Heights title run, 37-33.
HIGHEST SEEDS: 1. Abington Heights; 2. Dallas; 3. North Pocono.
DIVISION CHAMPIONS: None.
RANKED TEAMS: Abington Heights is third and Dallas sixth among Big School girls in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
WINNING RECORDS: Abington Heights 11-2, North Pocono 9-6, Dallas 7-5.
BEST OPENER: Crestwood is at Wyoming Valley West in a meeting between Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 rivals. The teams split in the regular season with Wyoming Valley West winning by 10 on its home court and Crestwood winning by 7. The Crestwood win was part of a five-game losing streak by the Lady Spartans to end the regular season. After playing much of the second half of the season without injured all-star center Trinity Johnson, Wyoming Valley West has gotten Johnson back in the lineup.
KEY GAME: North Pocono and Dallas are both up-and-down teams that got on winning streaks late in the season after falling short in their attempts to defend division titles they won in 2020. Both have multiple offensive weapons. North Pocono won six in a row, averaging 59.2 points, through Feb. 20 before dropping two of its last three. Dallas won four in a row, averaging 65.5 points, before losing its finale.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Clair Marion, Rachel McDonald and Anna Scoblick from Scranton Prep; Bella Hill and Julia Kocher from Dallas; Carena Colo and Alicia Goldenzeil from North Pocono; Johnson from Wyoming Valley West; Helena Jardine from Crestwood; Kallie Booth from Pittston Area.
NOTEWORTHY: Abington Heights has played at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in all five seasons of championships there. The Lady Comets won the first three titles in Class 5A, following the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association switch from four to six classifications, before losing in last year’s final. … West Scranton went winless and chose not to enter this year’s tournament. … Dallas was a Class 4A team last season and reached the district final where it lost to Scranton Prep. … Marion is coming off a career-high 41 points against Delaware Valley and is averaging 23.7 points for her last seven games. … McDonald hit eight 3-pointers in a game at Honesdale.
COMPLETE PAIRINGS
Thursday’s quarterfinals
5, Crestwood (7-9) at 4, Wyoming Valley West (5-7), 7 p.m.
6, Pittston Area (4-12) at 3, North Pocono (9-6), 7 p.m.
7, Wallenpaupack (4-11) at 2, Dallas (7-5), 7 p.m.
March 8 semifinals
Crestwood-Wyoming Valley West winner at 1, Abington Heights (11-2), 7 p.m.
Pittston Area-North Pocono winner at Wallenpaupack-Dallas winner
March 13 final
Semifinal winners at Mohegan Sun Arena, 5:30 p.m.
