EDITOR’S NOTE: While NEPABasketball.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of Saturday’s highlights.
By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
SCRANTON – Austin Finarelli poured in 35 points, including 17 in a span of 5:40 late in the first half, Saturday night as Dallas went to Scranton Prep and came away with a 77-58, non-league victory.
The Dallas win, in a meeting of ranked Big School boys teams. and girls tournament titles by Holy Redeemer and Wallenpaupack were among the highlights on a busy first Saturday of the season.
Finarelli, a senior guard beginning his fourth season as a starter, matched the scoring outburst of two of District 2’s top returning girls players during Friday night’s openers. Dunmore’s Ciera Toomey and Riverside’s Kylie Lavelle each scored 35 points in wins on the season’s official Opening Day.
The Scranton Prep boys had already won their opener Friday against Wilkes-Barre Area when they hosted the No. 2 Big School team in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams. The Cavaliers began the season ranked fourth.
With Scranton Prep royalty and former NCAA Championship Game participants Steve Vacendak and P.J. Carlesimo looking on from courtside, the Dallas backcourt combination of Finarelli and Nick Nocito offset a 17-point, 15-rebound effort by Robert Rossi.
Finarelli scored 17 points and Nocito hit two 3-pointers when Dallas turned a 17-15 deficit with 6:38 left in the second quarter into a 40-28 lead with a minute remaining in the half. He finished 13-for-20 from the floor, 6-for-11 on 3-pointers and 3-for-4 on free throws to go along with five rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Nocito had 22 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals before being ejected for a second technical foul with 1:49 left. He will miss next weekend’s game in Philadelphia against Boys Latin as part of the one-game suspension that automatically goes with any ejection.
Jillian DelBalso scored 12 points, Aubrey Curley was named Most Valuable Player and Mia Ashton made the all-tournament team when Holy Redeemer defeated host Selinsgrove, 46-21, in the final of the Angela Wolfe-Royalty Memorial Tournament.
Megan Desmet was named Most Valuable Player of the Lake Region Tip-Off Tournament after leading host Wallenpaupack to a 54-42 victory over Stroudsburg.
In other boys game: Old Forge routed Forest City, 67-36; Lake-Lehman edged Montrose, 53-50; Holy Redeemer defeated Hunter College (N.Y.), 56-40; Nanticoke defeated Pittston Area, 49-45; Hazleton Area defeated Allentown Dieruff, 62-49; Emmaus edged Abington Heights, 49-46; East Stroudsburg South ripped Berwick, 57-24; Northwest downed Delaware Valley, 68-53; Wallenpaupack blasted Monticello (N.Y.), 70-40; Blue Ridge defeated Sayre, 67-55; and Wyalusing Valley routed Susquehanna, 61-32.
Ayden Davitt, who drained five 3-pointers, and Matt Kuckla scored 17 points each for Old Forge, which won in the debut of J.J. Thomas as head coach.
Corey Bean scored 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for Lake-Lehman, which won on the road with help from Cole Morio’s 13 points, 9 rebounds and 8 steals.
Matt Prociak scored 23 points to lead Holy Redeemer to the victory in New York City.
Nanticoke rallied from four points down in the fourth quarter.
Berwick lost in the championship game of the 21st annual Joe Nespoli Tournament on its own court.
Northwest beat Delaware Valley for third place.
Host Wallenpaupack took third place in the Lake Region Tip-Off Tournament.
Blue Ridge went 2-0 in the Susquehanna-Bradford County Challenge while Susquehanna went 0-2.
In other girls games: Nazareth handled Hazleton Area, 47-18; Lake-Lehman pounded Williamsport, 71-35; Honesdale downed Wyoming Valley West, 45-38; Dallas ripped West Scranton, 51-21; Western Wayne defeated Linden Hall, 62-41; Souderton routed Abington Heights 61-32; Central Columbia defeated Wyoming Area, 52-21; Pittston Area 44, Delaware Valley 17, Hanover Area edged Forest City, 26-24; North Pocono held off Notre Dame Green Pond, 36-33; Scranton Prep downed Berwick, 54-25; and Tunkhannock defeated Elk Lake, 38-24.
Nazareth won the title of the Hazleton Area Tip-Off Tournament where Lake-Lehman took third.
Honesdale and Dallas advanced to Tuesday’s final of the Mike Duda Tournament at Wyoming Valley West.
Kaeli Romanowski scored 31 points as Western Wayne took third place in the State College Tournament.
Central Columbia won the title of its own tournament.
Pittston Area held Delaware Valley without a field goal in the first half, then got all 15 of Kallie Booth’s points in the second half.
Ally Sheridan’s putback with 10 seconds left lifted Hanover Area to its first win in more than two years.
Maria Belardi scored 16 points and Lizzie Neville added 15 for Scranton Prep.
