EDITOR’S NOTE: While NEPABasketball.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of Wednesday’s highlights.
By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
DUNMORE – Holy Redeemer’s Matt Prociak and Dunmore’s Moriah Murray put on shows in their final home games Wednesday night.
An adjustment to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association playoff format created the rare opportunity of playing a state tournament game at home.
Prociak and Murray made the most of it, each scoring 32 points in victories.
For Prociak, the outburst in a 67-47 victory over Southern Columbia in Class 3A allowed him to get to 1,000 career points.
Prociak came in needing 30 points and got there in three quarters. He had 15 points in the first quarter, 23 by halftime and completed his 32 points in three quarters.
For Murray, the effort allowed her to carry Dunmore through the first round in Class 4A while playing without All-American Ciera Toomey, who was on crutches watching her team after suffering a knee injury in the district championship game.
Murray had 30 of her points in the first three quarters, including 16 in the second quarter of Dunmore’s 51-25 victory over Shamokin.
The three-time, first-team, all-state guard and Drexel University commit was 5-for-7 on 3-pointers and 8-for-10 overall in the middle two quarters when Dunmore went from an 8-5 lead to 39-21. Murray finished with seven total 3-pointers.
Little-used sophomore forward Tristan Canavan came off the bench to grab 8 rebounds in 11 first-half minutes and finish with 10 total.
Prociak got support from a 17-point effort by Justice Shoats, who moved past 1,500 points for his career.
The wins by the Holy Redeemer boys and Dunmore girls were part of a 5-2 night by District 2 teams with one of the losses coming by one point.
All four District 2 home teams won.
The Scranton boys beat West Chester East, 84-70, in Class 6A boys while Scranton Prep downed North Schuylkill, 65-52, in Class 4A girls.
Jason Shields and Arvel Chandler hit five 3-pointers each for Scranton.
Shields led the way with 28 points while A.J. Dinterman added 22 and Chandler had 17.
Maria Belardi and Lizzie Neville scored 22 points to lead Scranton Prep into a Saturday rematch of last season’s state semifinal loss at Archbishop Wood.
Holy Cross won close to home, playing at Lackawanna College and rallying past Antietam, 57-49, in Class 2A boys.
Logan Tierney scored 19 points for the Crusaders while Gabe Gonzales added 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Hayden Hosie hit a 30-footer at the halftime buzzer to cut the deficit to 34-31, then Holy Cross recovered from giving up 23 second-quarter points to hold Antietam to 15 in the second half.
Pittston Area fell, 40-39, at Bangor in Class 5A girls.
The Lady Patriots never led until a little more than a minute remaining.
Kaylee Holland’s two free throws with 5.5 seconds left gave the Slaters a three-point lead.
Pittston Area raced down the court to score two points, but time ran out.
Loyalsock Township defeated Riverside, 87-64, in Class 3A boys for the other District 2 loss.
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.
