EDITOR’S NOTE: While NEPABasketball.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of Saturday’s highlights.
By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
BETHLEHEM – Jacen Holloway made the only Devon Prep 3-point attempt of overtime count and helped make sure Holy Redeemer’s last 3-pointer of the season essentially didn’t count.
Holloway completed a 19-point effort with the 3-pointer that put the Tide ahead to stay midway through overtime of a 73-72 victory over the Royals Saturday afternoon in a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 3A boys semifinal at Liberty High School.
Argel Pettit IV made both ends of a one-and-one with 3.7 seconds left for a four-point lead.
Justice Shoats capped a 29-point effort with a 3-pointer, but when the ball passed through the net with under a second to go and Holy Redeemer out of timeouts, the shot was only able to change the final margin.
A double-double by Matt Prociak and eight overtime points by Zach Perta were not enough for the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 and District 2 Class 3A champions.
The season ended for District 2 basketball during the afternoon tripleheader, which started with Old Forge falling to Constitution from Philadelphia in the Class 2A boys semifinals for the second straight year, 67-40.
The semifinal trip was the first for Holy Redeemer, which scored the last eight points of the first half, then added a seven-point streak early in the third for a 41-33 lead.
Darryl Wright hit three 3-pointers in 3:21 during the 15-3 surge that produced the biggest lead with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter.
Devon Prep answered with 10 straight points in 2:23, then the teams remained within one possession of each other for a stretch of 15:51.
The Tide followed up Holloway’s 3-pointer with a Lucas Orchard steal, a long possession and an Allen Cieslak basket off a Petit field for a 69-65 lead with 1:04 left.
Pettit went 4-for-4 at the line while scoring 6 of his 16 points in overtime. The first time he hit both ends of one-and-one created another four-point advantage with 28.8 seconds left.
Devon Prep had four players score at least 15 points.
Lucas Orchard had 18, Pettit 16 and Cieslak 15.
Prociak, who grabbed 10 rebounds, and Wright scored 13 points each. Perta had nine points and four assists.
Lamar Glover scored 29 points and made 6 steals for Constitution, which held Old Forge to 9 points in the first half.
Jacob Beccles scored 18 points while Jamal Carr had 11 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots for the Generals.
Ayden Davitt led Old Forge with 16 points and 3 steals. Matt Kuckla added 10 points.
In the middle game of the tripleheader, Archbishop Wood defeated Jim Thorpe, 57-44, in Class 4A girls.
Jim Thorpe, which eliminated Dunmore and Lake-Lehman on the way to the state semifinals, was led by Skyler Searfoss with 13 points.
Olivia Smelas added 10 points and 9 rebounds while Leila Hurley had 9 points.
Allie Fleming came off the bench to hit five 3-pointers and score 17 points for defending state champion Archbishop Wood.
Ryann Allen added 11 points while Deja Evans had 10 points and 16 rebounds.
MORE TO COME
This is just the start of the coverage recapping Saturday’s semifinal action. Return to this website for more.
