Andrew Ferguson scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half when Scranton Prep was pulling away for a 59-32 rout of top-ranked Scranton Monday night in a Lackawanna League Division 1 boys game.
With a game that was not close, the Cavaliers created the closest race in any of the 12 District 2 basketball divisions, boys or girls.
Coupled with a 44-7 Abington Heights rout of Western Wayne in a crossover game, the night ended with three teams – Scranton, Scranton Prep and Abington Heights – all sharing the Division 1 lead at 7-2.
The night started with Scranton (now 14-2 overall) ranked first among Big Schools in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams. Scranton Prep (11-6) came in unranked, the result of a slow start against a difficult schedule, but clearly building some momentum in a stretch that has now produced seven wins in the last eight games.
Scranton shot out to a 9-2 lead midway through the first quarter, but was held to less than a point a minute while being outscored by 34 the rest of the way.
Scranton Prep scored the last 10 points of the first quarter to take the lead, but was in front just 20-19 at halftime.
The Cavaliers broke the game open by scoring the first 13 points of the third quarter. They built their lead by holding the Knights scoreless for 4:28 and without a field goal for 6:11 to begin the second half.
Scranton Prep started the process of pulling away on the opening possession of the half.
Robert Rossi kicked the ball out from the post for James Pettinato, who hit a 3-pointer just 18 seconds in.
Matt Cobb’s tip in made it a six-point lead a minute in, before Scranton had attempted its first shot of the half.
The Cavaliers were held to 0-for-7 shooting, with three shots not even making it to the rim because Rossi blocked a putback attempt and two 3-point attempts were contested, and five turnovers during the 13-0 run.
Rossi took a steal the length of the floor, Ferguson deflected a ball for another turnover then headed up court to convert a long pass from Pettinato, who came up with the loose ball.
Ferguson then made four straight free throws to push the lead to 33-19. He wound up 8-for-8 from the line in the second half.
Scranton Prep did not slow down, holding Scranton to two field goals each in the third and fourth quarters. The Cavaliers closed with a 19-6 fourth quarter in which Cobb scored seven points and Ferguson had six.
Cobb had 9 of his 13 points after halftime.
Scranton’s Jason Shields had seven points in the 9-2 start, then scored his team’s first five second-half points late in the third quarter to lead the defending champion Knights with 12 points. A.J. Dinterman added eight points.
