OPENING NIGHT
The Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 girls season is scheduled to get underway Monday with two games, Wyoming Seminary at Holy Redeemer and Lake-Lehman at Hanover Area.
Wyoming Area and MMI Prep have reversed the sites of their two girls games and moved them back a day to make them part of girls-boys doubleheaders. They will play Tuesday at Wyoming Area.
Nanticoke opens its league schedule Thursday by hosting MMI Prep.
ON THE BENCH
Former boys coach C.J. Kersey took over Dec. 26 as interim head coach at Wyoming Seminary, replacing Abbey Rodway. In the time between Rodway’s resignation and Kersey taking over, Ron Strothers and Gia Skaff ran the team for a week. They both remained on assistants.
Jenera Quinones is the acting head coach at Hanover Area, with Marie Skrepenak and Tyler Smallcomb, who were on the staff from the beginning, also helping try to smooth the transition. Quinones came on board in mid-December, shortly after Jim McGavin stepped aside as the regular season was beginning.
Terry Hartz is in her first season as head coach at MMI Prep.
BACK FOR MORE
MMI Prep is back in the division after taking last season off as part of COVID precautions at the school.
REALIGNMENT
The return of MMI Prep bumped Tunkhannock up from Division 2 to Division 1 where it was originally scheduled to compete last season.
TWO AT TOP
Lake-Lehman and Holy Redeemer finished three games clear of the pack in the 2021 season, but tied with each other, resulting in a playoff for the division title.
Lake-Lehman claimed the title by winning that playoff game, 42-31, at Pittston Area.
Final standings: Lake-Lehman 10-2, Holy Redeemer 10-2, Nanticoke 7-5, Tunkhannock 6-6, Wyoming Area 6-6, Wyoming Seminary 2-10, Hanover Area 0-12.
WIDE RANGE
Although it is the small school half of the Wyoming Valley Conference, five of the sevens in the division are on the big school half of Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association enrollment figures as Class 4A teams.
The division also has a Class 3A team, Wyoming Seminary, and a Class A team, MMI Prep.
FOR THE RECORD
Lake-Lehman comes out of December non-league play with the best winning percentage while Wyoming Area has the most wins.
The non-league records that teams carry into the start of league action: Lake-Lehman 2-1, Wyoming Area 5-4, Holy Redeemer 3-5, Nanticoke 3-5, Hanover Area 3-6, MMI Prep 0-3, Wyoming Seminary 0-6.
Lake-Lehman is third, Wyoming Area fourth, Holy Redeemer fifth, Nanticoke ninth and Hanover Area 11th out of 11 teams chasing eight district berths in Class 4A.
Wyoming Seminary is sixth of seven teams in the ratings race for Class 3A seeding.
MMI Prep is last of three teams competing for Class A seeding.
None of the teams are currently listed in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
Lake-Lehman had been ranked among the Big School girls until this week. Wyoming Seminary was listed among the Small Schools in the preseason.
FAVORITE
Lake-Lehman is the prohibitive favorite to repeat as division champion.
Another season-long battle with Holy Redeemer is possible, although Nanticoke and Wyoming Area also have the potential to be as big a threat as the Lady Royals.
TURNING A CORNER
Hanover Area has already won three times after going 0-15 last season when it was held to 10 or fewer points 7 times and was beaten by 45 or more 8 times.
The Lady Hawkeyes are 3-1 in games decided by three points or less with Ally Sheridan twice hitting game-winning shots in the closing seconds.
RETURNING STARS
Nine of the 11 players on the division all-star team selected by NEPABasketball.com were underclassmen. The two Tunkhannock players have moved up to Division 1, but seven all-stars still return to the division.
Claire Dougherty is back at Lake-Lehman after being named Player of the Year. Dougherty has committed to play on a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II scholarship at Holy Family University.
Chase Purdy, a first-teamer, and Hailey Kline, a second-teamer, also return for Lake-Lehman.
Nanticoke and Wyoming Area each return a first-teamer and a second-teamer.
Nanticoke’s Riley Baird and Wyoming Area’s Morgan Janeski were on the first team. Nanticoke’s Claire Aufiero and Wyoming Area’s Halle Kranson were on the second team.
