EDITOR’S NOTE: While NEPABasketball.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of Tuesday’s highlights.
By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
YATESVILLE – Half of the 10 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament openers involving District 2 teams Tuesday night were not decided until the final buzzer.
Pittston Area’s 53-51 victory over visiting Lower Dauphin in Class 5A boys required an officials’ split-second decision on whether the final shot of the game should count.
An apparent scoreboard clock malfunction complicated an already close call and officials ruled that a Braden Landis tip-in that could have forced overtime came too late.
The clock appeared to freeze briefly at one-tenth of a second as Landis tried to shoot for a third time in the final three seconds.
It was not the only close call of the night.
The Scranton Prep boys won by three points on the road on a night when the Holy Cross girls lost by one, the Mid Valley boys lost by two and the North Pocono boys lost by three.
J.J. Walsh scored 15 points to pace Pittston Area, which led by a dozen points with 4½ minutes left, then held on.
The Patriots outrebounded Lower Dauphin, 29-17, and have outrebounded their last two opponents by a total of 56-29.
Dominic Jannuzzi and Anthony Cencetti grabbed eight rebounds each while Ethan Ghannam had seven.
Ryan Ruddy scored half of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, but a North Pocono comeback fell short in a 47-44 road loss to East Stroudsburg South in another Class 5A boys game.
Two of District 2’s three Class 4A entries won.
Dallas went from trailing late in the first quarter to sending the game into the Mercy Rule early in the third quarter of a 66-46 victory over Shamokin.
The Mountaineers outscored the Indians, 27-3, in the second quarter for a 51-23 halftime lead.
Nick Nocito scored 16 points while Austin Finarelli and Michael Cumbo added 14 each.
Andrew Ferguson pumped in 28 points as Scranton Prep won at Middletown in District 3, 53-50.
Athens and Mid Valley traded the lead throughout the game at Lackawanna College before Athens emerged with a 42-40 victory.
Both District 2 entries in the state Class 3A tournament won.
Kylie Lavelle shot 13-for-23 from the floor while scoring 30 points and blocking 3 shots in a 57-29 rout of visiting Towanda.
Western Wayne went to Loyalsock Township and came home with a 48-37 victory.
Kaeli Romanowski led the Lady ‘Cats with 13 points.
Both Class 2A teams got knocked out.
Defending state champion Mount Carmel won at Holy Cross, 40-39, when Alyssa Riesinger scored 16 points, including the game-winning layup with 19 seconds left.
Holy Cross had a five-footer for the win with about a second left, but could not convert.
Julia Goetz led the Lady Crusaders with 15 points while Kaci Kranson added 14.
Ali Griscavage scored 29 points, including the 1,000th of her career, as once-beaten Southern Columbia routed Elk Lake, 67-35.
Wilkes-Barre Area made major progress in its second state girls tournament appearance.
The Wolfpack battled throughout and lost 56-44 to Methacton, a suburban Philadelphia team with a 24-3 record.
The Wolfpack had lost in their debut, 67-23, last season against Cumberland Valley.
MORE TO COME
This is just the start of the coverage recapping the first round of state play. Return to this website often this week for more.
