EDITOR’S NOTE: While NEPABasketball.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of Monday’s highlights.
By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
SCRANTON – Maria Belardi scored 13 first-quarter points without missing a shot. Rita Collins had 12 in the second quarter while missing just once.
Together, Belardi and Collins created the cushion Scranton Prep needed to stay in front of visiting Wilkes-Barre Area the rest of the way Monday night in a 61-50 victory in a game between unbeaten and ranked teams.
Belardi finished with 21 points on 9-for-11 shooting. She was 5-for-5 in the first quarter with three of the shots coming from 3-point range to help the Classics to a 17-10 lead.
Collins added 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting – 8-for-9 after an 0-for-3 start – while adding 6 steals and 6 rebounds. After the Wolfpack closed within 17-16 midway through the second quarter, Collins made four straight shots from the floor and three free throws in the next four minutes to fuel a 14-5 run to a 34-21 halftime lead.
Wilkes-Barre Area outscored Scranton Prep by a point in each of the last two quarters, but could not get closer than seven points in the second half.
Lizzie Neville added 10 points and 4 steals for the Classics, who forced 25 turnovers.
Gloria Adjayi (18), Shelby Ardo-Boyko (15) and Danayjha Moore (14) scored in double figures for Wilkes-Barre Area. Ardo-Boyko also had six rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Scranton Prep (4-0) is ranked second among Big School girls teams in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams. No. 4 Wilkes-Barre Area slipped to 4-1.
The Dallas girls and North Pocono boys handed opponents their first losses in games that pitted ranked teams against each other.
No. 3 Big School Dallas downed No. 6 Small School Lackawanna Trail, 53-25, in a girls game.
No. 5 Big School North Pocono handed No. 2 Small School Riverside, 58-51, in a boys game. Both teams came out of the game with 4-1 records.
Valley View, Wyoming Valley West, West Scranton and District 4’s Wyalusing Valley also defeated ranked teams in boys games.
Eli Yusavage drained five 3-pointers while scoring 17 points as Valley View handled No. 3 Small School Old Forge, 46-28.
Jon Mann and Tyreese Harris scored 14 points each as host Wyoming Valley West rallied from three down after three quarters to defeat No. 3 Big School Abington Heights, 46-45.
West Scranton improved to 4-1 by defeating a ranked team for the second time this season with a 58-51 victory over No. 6 Big School Mid Valley.
Wyalusing Valley defeated visiting Elk Lake, the No. 6 Small School, 71-63.
In other boys games: Dunmore defeated Honesdale, 56-34; Wyoming Area topped Mountain View, 59-46; Hanover Area defeated Northwest, 57-52 East Stroudsburg North nipped Delaware Valley, 52-48; Executive Education Academy defeated Wilkes-Barre Area, 60-46; Marian Catholic ripped Wyoming Seminary, 57-26; and Roberto Clemente Charter School routed MMI Prep.
Adriel DeNaples led Dunmore with 16 points.
Karter Kromko scored 19 for Honesdale in the loss.
Dane Schutter scored 18 of his 24 points to help Wyoming Area take a 23-13 halftime lead.
Jake Zola and Steven Florek each had double-doubles for Hanover Area.
Zola finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Florek had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Elijah Noe scored 8 of his 12 points in the first quarter to help get Hawkeyes out to a 19-13 lead.
Kobe McGee and Jeremiah Bembry scored 21 points each to lead Executive Education.
Jacob Horga had 14 for Wilkes-Barre Area.
In other girls games: Crestwood defeated Nanticoke, 31-22; Wyoming Area routed Mountain View, 50-9; Berwick blasted Forest City, 48-10; Holy Cross downed West Scranton, 58-32; Mid Valley defeated Blue Ridge, 38-23; Hanover Area edged Northwest, 32-29; Williamsport beat Holy Redeemer, 51-49; Marian Catholic defeated Wyoming Seminary, 42-15; and East Stroudsburg South defeated Delaware Valley, 52-37.
Julia Glowacki hit two first-quarter 3-pointers on the way to a team-high nine points for Crestwood.
Glowacki helped the Lady Comets lead 10-2 after one quarter and 17-2 at halftime.
Claire Aufiero scored 14 points to lead Nanticoke.
Wyoming Area scored the first 19 points of the game, including Jocelyn Williams getting all 12 of her points during the streak.
Olivia Allen led the Lady Warriors with 13 points.
Rae Ann Andreas led three Berwick double figures scorers with 15 points.
Kaci Kranson fired in 32 points for Holy Cross.
Mid Valley improved to 4-0 with just 15.3 points allowed per game.
Marian Catholic led, 32-6, at halftime.
Lexi Lichtenstein led Wyoming Seminary with 10 points.
MORE TO COME
Return to this website for more-detailed reports on Monday’s action.
