Noah Sorenson and Robert Rossi played key roles in a game-breaking, third-quarter run and led a balanced attack that carried defending champion Scranton Prep into the semifinals with Wednesday night’s 66-49 victory over visiting Wyoming Area in a District 2 Class 4A boys quarterfinal.
The Cavaliers led 33-22 at halftime before the Warriors inched closer, getting to within 37-28 midway through the third quarter.
Rossi scored on a drive with 4:13 left and followed it by taking a steal the length of the floor 15 seconds later to launch a 20-2 run to a 57-30 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Sorenson had 6 of his 14 points during the run. Rossi finished with 13 points.
Matt Cobb, with 12 points, and Andrew Ferguson, with 11, joined them in double figures.
Wyoming Area was led by Evan Melberger with 14 points. Dane Schutter added 11 and Tyler Sciandra had 10.
Scranton Prep is trying to extend District 2’s longest active basketball title streaks.
The Cavaliers have won all five Class 4A championships since the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association switched from four to six classifications in basketball. Scranton Prep has also won titles in all six seasons that the finals have been conducted at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza and has seven straight championships total.
Scranton Prep, seeded third, will have to go to second-seeded Mid Valley for Saturday’s 7 p.m. semifinal. The Lackawanna League Division 3 champion Spartans advanced with a 58-24 rout of Lake-Lehman.
In other Wednesday Class 4A boys quarterfinals:
Nanticoke 57, Hanover Area 44
Chris Johnson scored 23 points to lead Nanticoke to the victory over Hanover Area and into Saturday’s semifinal at top-seeded Dallas.
The Trojans also got 17 points from Jaidyn Johnson while winning for the 13th time in 16 games since a 1-7 start.
Chris Johnson had 16 points in the first half, but Hanover Area still had the game tied, 27-27, at that point.
Owen Brown, who finished with nine points, went 7-for-9 from the line in the second half as Nanticoke gradually pulled away.
Hanover Area placed four players in double figures – Jake Zola (13), Elijah Noe (11), Mike Merth (10) and David Popson (10).
Dallas 76, Honesdale 41
Dallas scored 33 first-quarter points on the way to its 16th straight victory.
Michael Cumbo had all 11 of his points in the first quarter to help the Mountaineers to a 33-15 lead.
Austin Finarelli had all 17 of his points by halftime for a 61-26 lead.
Michael Bufalino scored eight points while Finarelli and Nick Nocito had seven each in the first quarter.
Bufalino had 11 points and Nocito 10 as all four Dallas double-figure scorers were done by halftime.
Nate Hugaboom scored 11 to lead Honesdale.
MORE WEDNESDAY BOYS COVERAGE
Mid Valley/Lake-Lehman game story: https://nepabasketball.com/2021-22/Playoffs/BoysMVLehman.
