EDITOR’S NOTE: While NEPABasketball.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of Saturday’s highlights.
By Tom Robinson and Ben Magnotta, NEPABasketball.com
SCRANTON – Elk Lake put together a second-half comeback and Mid Valley fought one off Saturday afternoon as Lackawanna League teams swept a Conference Challenge doubleheader at the Lackawanna College Student Union.
Matt Mowry scored all 15 of his points in the second half as Elk Lake wiped out a 10-point halftime deficit on the way to a 48-37 victory over Nanticoke in the opener.
Mid Valley had its 11-point halftime lead reduced to two in the final minute before Danny Nemitz and Cameron Riccardo each hit one of two free throws in the final 26.6 seconds to preserve a 39-35 victory over Tunkhannock.
The Saturday sweep gave the Lackawanna League a 3-1 edge in this season’s four games and evened the series with the Wyoming Valley Conference at 5-5 in the event, which has been held three of the past four seasons.
Elk Lake scored the first 13 points of the second half to take the lead for good, then added the first 8 of the fourth quarter to build a more comfortable margin.
Trevor Graham hit his third and fourth 3-pointers of the game during the third quarter, including the basket that put Elk Lake ahead. He also finished with 15 points.
Mid Valley scored 13 straight points – the last basket of the first quarter and the first 11 points of the second – on the way to a 24-13 halftime lead.
Gabe Tanner and Ricky Vinansky each had 7 of their 13 points during a 14-3 second quarter.
Tanner also had five assists and four steals.
Tunkhannock’s Ben Chilson shared game scoring honors with 13 points while grabbing 7 rebounds.
Lackawanna College was also the site of another game between teams from the two conferences Saturday night.
Matthew Prociak scored 20 points, including 11 in the third quarter, to lead Holy Redeemer to a 58-28 romp over Holy Cross.
Justice Shoats helped the Royals to leads of 15-7 after one quarter and 27-14 at halftime. Shoats had seven points, including one of the team's three 3-pointers in the first quarter, then added two baskets off steals in the second quarter when he turned one of them into a dunk.
Nathan Hunt scored 16 points as Lakeland defeated host Lackawanna Trail, 56-43, for the Cal King Tournament title.
Hunt had nine points on three 3-pointers in the first quarter to lead the Chiefs to a 19-10 lead.
Dunmore defeated visiting Mount Carmel, 53-46, in the Coal Cracker Classic.
Kevin Walsh scored 16 points and Adriel DeNaples added 13 for the Bucks, who broke away from a halftime tie.
In other boys games: Pittston Area defeated West Scranton, 66-38; North Pocono handled Wyoming Area, 79-50; Delaware Valley topped Pocono Mountain East, 56-47; St. Joseph’s Prep defeated Scranton Prep, 63-47; Cumberland Valley downed Hazleton Area, 63-54; and Panther Valley pounded MMI Prep, 49-10.
Anthony Cencetti scored 18 points as Pittston Area handed West Scranton its first loss.
North Pocono bounced back from its first loss Friday night in the Conference Challenge.
Jake Brower scored 18 points and Ronny Jason had 15 in Delaware Valley’s victory.
James Pettinato hit three first-half 3-pointers and finished with 11 points to lead Scranton Prep during its loss.
Meghan Kiernan converted an offensive rebound with six seconds left to lift Susquehanna to a 44-42, non-league girls victory over Hanover Area.
Kiernan finished with a team-high 18 points.
Kyleen McCance led Hanover Area with 25 points.
In other girls games: Wyoming Area pounded North Pocono, 50-28; Mid Valley ripped Forest City, 42-8; Valley View defeated Old Forge, 66-49; Lakeland edged Honesdale, 44-42; Scranton trounced Blue Ridge, 59-18; Elk Lake routed Wyalusing, 56-16; Jim Thorpe defeated Riverside, 66-44; Cumberland Valley topped Hazleton Area, 45-34; Pocono Mountain East defeated Delaware Valley, 54-29; and Shenandoah Valley routed MMI Prep, 57-19.
Wyoming Area scored the first 10 points of the game and the first 7 of the second quarter for a 17-4 lead in the final minute of the first half.
Morgan Janeski then scored 12 of her 25 points in the third quarter to build the lead to 42-17.
Katie Glinsky scored 18 points for Mid Valley, which held Forest City without a field goal in the first half.
Olivia Smelas scored 18 points and Leila Hurley added 16 to lead Jim Thorpe over Riverside.
Kylie Lavelle led the Lady Vikes with 18 points and 17 rebounds.
Brianna Kennedy scored all 12 of her points in the middle two quarters for Hazleton Area to keep the Lady Cougars within 5 going into the fourth quarter.
