By Tom Robinson, NEPABasketball.com
FORMAT: The five-team subregional includes District 2’s four Class 6A schools and Williamsport, District 4’s only school in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s largest enrollment classification. There is one game needed to trim the field to four semifinalists. The quarterfinals and semifinals are played on the home court of the higher seed, then the final moves to Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Only the champion advances to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament.
2021 RECAP: The tournament went according to seeds until second-seeded Wilkes-Barre Area defeated top-seed and defending champion Hazleton Area, 47-33, in the final.
HIGHEST SEEDS: 1, Wilkes-Barre Area; 2, Hazleton Area.
REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPIONS: None. Wilkes-Barre Area tied for first place in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 standings, but lost a playoff for the title to Pittston Area.
RANKED TEAMS: Wilkes-Barre Area is the No. 6 Big School girls team in the My City Mortgage Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams. Hazleton Area had been ranked earlier in the season.
WINNING RECORDS: Wilkes-Barre Area 18-5, Scranton 14-7, Hazleton Area 13-8.
BEST OPENER: Scranton and Hazleton Area do not open their tournament until Saturday’s semifinal round at Hazleton Area. Both are guard-oriented with Scranton relying on its 3-point shooting and Hazleton Area on its speed and constant pressure defense. The game will be a rematch of last season’s semifinal that Hazleton Area won on the same court, 51-48. Scranton’s Finley Bittenbender hit four 3-pointers and scored 20 points in that loss.
KEY GAME: See above.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Gloria Adjayi, Shelby Ardo-Boyko and Danayjha Moore from Wilkes-Barre Area; Lacie Kringe and Brianna Kennedy from Hazleton Area; Finley Bittenbender and Kennedy Bittenbender from Scranton; Kailee Helmrich from Williamsport; Mackenzie Olsommer from Delaware Valley.
NOTEWORTHY: Adjayi scored the 1,000th point of her career during a Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament loss to Lake-Lehman. … Finley Bittenbender set a Scranton High School record for most 3-pointers in a season. … Kringe leads Hazleton Area in points, assists, steals and blocked shots. … Williamsport is 2-3 against District 2 opponents this season, including a season-opening, 46-40, loss to Hazleton Area in the tournament the Lady Cougars hosted.
COMPLETE PAIRINGS
Tuesday’s quarterfinal
5, Delaware Valley (3-18) at 4, Williamsport (9-11), 6 p.m.
Thursday’s semifinal
Delaware Valley-Williamsport winner at 1, Wilkes-Barre Area (18-5), 7 p.m.
Saturday's semifinal
3, Scranton (14-7) at 2, Hazleton Area (13-8), 5 p.m.
March 4 final
Semifinal winners at Mohegan Sun Arena, 6 p.m.
