Montrose returned from an 11-day COVID absence to immediately regain the Lackawanna League Division 4 girls basketball lead.
Tangi Smith scored 14 of her 17 points in the second half Monday night when Montrose defeated host Elk Lake, 43-35, in a game between the last two teams with unbeaten records in the division.
Elk Lake entered the night a half-game in front, but Montrose took the lead by protecting one of three unbeaten overall records in District 2. The Scranton Prep girls and Wyoming Seminary boys are the other unbeatens.
The Lady Warriors took a 25-24 lead midway through the third quarter.
Montrose then scored the last 11 points of the third quarter, 6 of them by Smith for a 35-25 lead.
Elk Lake got back within two by scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter.
The Lady Meteors closed out the win by scoring 8 of the game’s final 10 points, 5 by Smith and 3 by Mia Snyder.
Krista Jones led Elk Lake with 10 points.
Montrose is ranked fifth and Elk Lake sixth among Small School girls teams in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
The Lady Meteors are 7-0 in the division and overall. The Lady Warriors are 7-1 in the division and 7-3 overall with the other two losses coming to top-ranked Riverside.
The only game played in District 2 Monday night was also in Lackawanna Division 4 girls with Lackawanna Trail winning at Blue Ridge, 38-18.
The third-place Lady Lions won their fourth straight to improve to 8-2 in the division and 8-3 overall.
Megan Gatto scored all 10 of her points while Lackawanna Trail was opening a 24-7 halftime lead.
Amaralis Thiel did all of her scoring at the free throw line where she was 9-for-10.
Leigha McCain led Blue Ridge with seven points, all in the second half.
