Pittston Area claims WVC first-half title

The pressure was on.

Pittston Area had just lost its first game of the season – and its grip on the Wyoming Valley Conference Division I race – with co-leader Wyoming Valley West coming to town.

The Lady Patriots also had something else weighing heavily on their minds. Junior forward Mia Hopkins had poured in 39 points in that first loss and was on pace to reach the 1,000-point mark a lot sooner then maybe they were ready for.

But just as they have all season long, Pittston Area stood up to adversity and came out on top.

Hopkins scored 11 of her 19 points – including her 1,000th career point – in the final 12 minutes of the game as Pittston Area defeated Valley West, 56-49, in overtime to capture the WVC Division I first-half title on Thursday night at the Thomas R. Kelly Gymnasium in Yatesville.

“We were all thinking this is our game,” Hopkins said. “As soon as I scored the 1,000th point it relieved a lot of pressure from everyone and that’s when we started playing our game.”

Hopkins’ 1,000th point came with just 40.8 seconds remaining in regulation and got the Lady Patriots to within 45-44.

The 5’11 forward created the open look underneath the basket after missing her initial shot. She pulled down the rebound and going right back up with the ball Hopkins put it through the net.

“Once the pressure was off, I think everyone kind of relaxed and played their game,” Lady Patriots head coach Cathy Healey said. “They were so worried about getting her the ball, because she means so much to our program.”

With the individual pressure off, Hopkins took the pressure off of her teammates.

Freshman Allie Barber inbounded the ball to Hopkins with less than 12 seconds remaining, and after drawing yet another double-team, Hopkins found Grace O’Neill with a perfect pass through a tight window. O’Neill made a strong move to the basket with her left hand and was fouled. She missed the first, but connected with the second and tied the game at 45-45 to send the defacto championship game into overtime.

The WVC leading scorer hit two pull-up jumpers to give the Lady Patriots a 51-47 lead with 2:25 remaining in the overtime period. But, it was freshman Liz Waleski who would seal the deal for PA, and it had nothing to do with her offensive play. With 56.9 remaining in the game, Waleski drew a charge on the low block.

The play allowed Pittston Area (13-1, 5-1) to add to its lead instead of giving WVW a chance to cut the deficit.

“I honestly knew I was in position to take the charge,” Waleski said. “It was nerve wracking, it was just an all around awesome game and I am so happy for Mia.”

“Liz has a great knowledge of the game, because of her dad (Stan Waleski),” Coach Healey said. “She did a couple of little things in the beginning that I was yelling at her for, but that play was key, and she definitely redeemed herself.”

The Lady Patriots gained even more momentum when the Spartans head coach was called for a technical foul, for arguing on the play. O’Neill hit both free throws, giving the Patriots a 53-47 lead with under a minute remaining in the game.

Waleski was then fouled on her way to the basket and hit one of two free throws to give the Patriots a 54-47 lead.

Both the Spartans and the Lady Patriots each had a basket in the final 11 seconds of the game, but it was PA who would hang on for the 56-49 victory and claim the first half championship.

The game was nip-and-tuck the whole way with the teams tied at 23-23 at halftime. At that point, Healey tried to tell her players to relax and just play the game.

“We definitely talked about being calm and playing the game,” Healey said. “When we play the game and play right, good things will happen.”

Despite being double- and triple-teamed all night, Hopkins paced the Lady Patriots with her 19 points despite just having five at halftime.

Barber added 15 points and O’Neill chipped in with 10 of her own for PA. Waleski added in with seven, while Jackie Rabender rounded out the Patriots scoring with five points.

PA 68, Holy Redeemer 70

Three days after Friday the 13th, the Pittston Area basketball team suffered some bad luck of its own in its 13th game of the season.

Despite a Wonder Woman-like effort from star forward Mia Hopkins, the Lady Patriots dropped a heartbreaking 70-68 overtime decision to Holy Redeemer in a Wyoming Valley Conference Crossover game on Monday night at the Thomas R. Kelly Gymnasium in Yatesville.

It was the Lady Patriots first loss of the season, and it came to a team it had beaten by 23 just a few weeks earlier. But the WVC’s leading scorer did all she could to prevent the loss.

Hopkins poured in a career-high 39 points – 19 in the final 12 minutes – to lead Pittston Area (12-1 overall, 4-1 WVC) in coming back from a four-point deficit entering the final stanza.

It was not enough however as the Lady Royals outscored the Lady Patriots 31-23 over the middle quarters, and by a last second bucket in the overtime.

PA took a 17-13 lead after the first quarter but trailed by four entering the fourth quarter. Hopkins led the fourth-quarter rally in which the Lady Patriots posted 20 points to force extra time.

Hopkins finished with 13 field goals, including a three-pointer, and also converted 12-of-17 free throws. The junior has raised her free throw percentage to 68.1 percent this season after shooting 62.9 percent as a freshman, and 66.8 percent as a sophomore.

Grace O’Neill added 11 points for Pittston Area, and Jackie Rabender chipped in with six.

WA 52, Crestwood 66

After a quick start that saw Wyoming Area take a five-point lead after the first quarter, the Lady Warriors suffered first a defensive lapse, and then an offensive one, in a 66-52 loss to Crestwood on Thursday night in a WVC Crossover game in Mountain Top.

The Lady Warriors led 19-14 after the first period of play but the Lady Comets reeled off 21 points in the second stanza to take a 35-32 lead into halftime.

Wyoming Area’s offense then managed just seven points in the third quarter as Crestwood took command with an 11-point lead into the final period.

Sophomore Abby Thornton scored a career-high 15 points to lead the Lady Warriors (5-10, 1-5). Serra Degnan added 14 points, and Ashlee Blannett and Sara Radzwilka each chipped in with six points.

WA 41, Coughlin 21

Wyoming Area broke a four-game losing streak and gave first-year head coach Ryan Kennedy his first WVC victory with a 41-21 win over Coughlin on Monday night in a WVC Crossover game in Wilkes-Barre.

The Lady Warriors held the Lady Crusaders without a field goal for the first 16 minutes of action, racing out to a 20-2 halftime lead.

Serra Degnan led Wyoming Area (5-9, 1-4) with 12 points as 14 different players saw action for the Lady Warriors.

Ashlee Blannett checked in with eight points and Lexi Coolbaugh and Nicole Turner each chipped in with five points for WA.

OF 42, Holy Cross 30

Old Forge finished first-half play with a solid 42-30 victory over Holy Cross on the road in Dunmore on Wednesday night.

The Blue Devils – who came within three points of finishing the half unbeaten – raced out to an early lead and never looked back as Lauren Carey led a 17-5 run during the first eight minutes of action to put Old Forge (10-4, 5-2) in control.

Carey finished the game with 15 points to lead the Blue Devils on the offensive end.

Taylor Nemetz broke out of a shooting slump with three three-pointers among her 11 points, and Morgan Malia chipped in with six for Old Forge.

OF 52, Carbondale 10

Old Forge played 12 different players in the first half as they cruised to a 52-10 victory over Carbondale Area on Monday night in a Lackawanna League Division II game in the Elio Ghigiarelli Gymnasium in Old Forge.

Vicki Lee scored all 10 of her season-high in the first quarter as the Blue Devils raced to a 24-2 lead after eight minutes of action.

Lee made three from behind the arc in the first quarter as Old Forge (9-4, 4-2) canned five triples in period.

Rhyan Barnic added all nine of her points in the opening stanza for the Blue Devils, and Kelci Wolfe and Marissa Zambetti each chipped in with six points in the victory.