EDITOR’S NOTE: While NEPABasketball.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of Tuesday’s highlights.
By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
THROOP – A group of 19 teams earned dates at the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza for District 2 championship weekend with victories Saturday.
And, for the first time, the Scranton Prep boys are not part of that group.
Ricky Vinansky scored 20 points and Gabe Tanner added 18 Saturday as the Spartans brought an end to multiple Scranton Prep title streaks by running away in the second half for a 66-48 rout of the Cavaliers in a District 2 Class 4A boys semifinal.
Scranton Prep had won all five Class 4A titles since the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association switched from four classifications to six in basketball; had won titles all six years of championship games at the arena and had won seven straight district titles total.
The most recent of those titles came against Mid Valley last year at the arena, serving as one of many sources of motivation for the Lackawanna League Division 3 champion Spartans.
“We were looking forward to playing them,” said Vinansky, who also grabbed 13 rebounds.
Danny Nemitz added 13 points while Camerson Riccardo had 10 points, 9 rebounds and 4 steals.
Andrew Ferguson led Scranton Prep, which can still earn its way into the state tournament in a Tuesday third-place game, with 11 points.
The Mid Valley boys were one of 15 teams that simultaneously clinched title shots at the arena and state tournament berths by assuring themselves of a top-two finish in classes that qualify two or three teams for states.
The Abington Heights girls and Hazleton Area girls are now the only teams to have qualified for all seven years of championship games at the arena. The Lady Comets, who have won championships in five of those six years, also earned their return trip by breaking open a close game in the second half on the way to a 55-32 romp over Dallas.
Allison Dammer scored 13 points and led the Abington Heights control of the boards.
The Lady Comets opened the second half with a 13-1 run to expand a 26-21 halftime lead.
Riverside and Holy Cross both had their boys and girls advance to the final while the Pittston Area girls joined the school’s boys team, which had won Friday night’s only game to clinch its arena spot earlier.
Frankie Antoniacci scored 21 points to lead the Riverside boys, who handled Dunmore, 49-33, in Class 3A after falling behind, 12-5, at the end of the first quarter.
Kylie Lavelle had 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 assists and 2 blocked shots when Riverside defeated Montrose, 59-32, in Class 3A girls.
Both Holy Cross teams beat Blue Ridge in Class 2A.
The Crusaders won, 71-52, in the afternoon behind 26 points by Kaeden Carr.
The Lady Crusaders won at night, 68-21.
Kaci Kranson, the school’s all-time leading scorer, had to be helped off the court after suffering an apparent leg injury with Holy Cross already leading 39-3 less than two minutes into the second quarter.
The Pittston Area girls trailed at halftime of a 47-35 victory over Wyoming Valley West in Class 5A.
Kallie Booth scored 21 points to lead Pittston Area and Daniella Ranieli sparked a run to begin the second half on her way to finishing with 14 points.
The Lady Patriots will play Abington Heights in the Class 5A final.
The North Pocono, Dallas, Holy Redeemer and Old Forge boys, as well as the Dunmore, Scranton Prep, Western Wayne and Elk Lake girls all also clinched a spot in the state tournament while reaching the district final.
North Pocono beat Wallenpaupack, the team it finished behind in the Lackawanna Division 2 standings, 53-40 to reach the Class 5A final against Pittston Area.
Ryan Ruddy had 15 points, including 7 during a 20-10, second-quarter run to a 34-24 halftime lead, to lead North Pocono.
Jack Smith scored 20 points for Wallenpaupack in the loss.
Nick Nocito scored 18 points while Jackson Wydra and Michael Bufalino added 16 points each as top-seeded Dallas pounded Nanticoke, 77-53, to reach the Class 4A final against Mid Valley.
Holy Redeemer, like Dallas, a top seed after winning a Wyoming Valley Conference division title, will meet Riverside after beating Carbondale, 69-37, in Class 3A.
Justice Shoats had 19 points and Matt Prociak 17 for the Royals.
Old Forge outlasted Lackawanna Division 4 champion Elk Lake on the road, 60-51, in a rematch of last season’s Class 2A final that the Blue Devils also won, that time in overtime.
The Blue Devils will play Holy Cross for the title.
Dunmore ripped Nanticoke, 69-9, to reach the Class 4A final against four-time defending champion Scranton Prep.
Moriah Murray, who scored her 1,500th career point early in the game, and Ciera Toomey had 14 points each for state-ranked Dunmore, which led 46-3 at halftime.
Western Wayne will get a Class 3A girls rematch with defending champion Riverside
Katherine Shepherd scored 19 points to lead the Lady ‘Cats to a 49-27 victory over Lakeland.
Krista Jones scored 14 points to lead Elk Lake past Lackawanna Trail, 57-38, and into the Class 2A final against Holy Cross.
Three Class 6A teams, two of them from District 2, advanced to District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional finals where they will need to win the championship to get to the state tournament.
Jason Shields set two school records as Scranton destroyed Wilkes-Bare Area, 91-36, in 6A.
Shields had 10 made 3-pointers while scoring 43 points in 3 quarters. The points and 3-pointers were both single games records for Scranton.
The Knights will face District 4’s Williamsport, which won at Hazleton Area, 44-39.
In the opener of the doubleheader, Hazleton Area defeated Scranton, 58-37, to reach the 6A girls final where it will face the winner of Monday’s semifinal between Williamsport and Wilkes-Barre Area.
Sophia Shults scored 18 points to lead the Lady Cougars to a 58-37 victory.
Finley Bintenbender had 24 points for the Lady Knights in the loss.
Both Forest City teams were in action in Class A.
The Lady Foresters defeated MMI Prep, 42-29, to reach the final against Susquehanna.
Emily Matoushek scored 17 points to lead Forest City and help it overcome five second-half, 3-pointers and 25 total points by Bria Kringe.
The Forest City boys were eliminated in the quarterfinals of the District 2-11 Class A Subregional boys tournament.
Roberto Clemente Charter downed Forest City, 62-47.
Dylan Bezek scored 20 points in the loss.
MORE TO COME
This is just the start of the coverage recapping the semifinals and beginning to set up the finals. Return to this website often this week for more.
