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KINGSTON — Friday’s game went full circle for Wyoming Area. Not that Wyoming Seminary minded.
Wyoming Area trailed by 10 after the first quarter and after the fourth. In between, the Warriors went ahead only to see Seminary rally for a 44-34 Wyoming Valley Conference boys basketball interdivisional game.
“We know that basketball is a game of runs,” said Wyoming Area coach Pete Moses, whose team fell to 2-1 in Division 2 and 6-1 overall. “When you go down 13-3 and are down 10, it’s hard to make up those 10 points. Funny thing about it, you look at the score at the end of the first quarter — 13-3. You look at the score at the end of the game — 44-34.
“That 10 points, we never made that 10 points up.”
Seminary (2-1, Div. 3, 6-2) was able to get that 10 points back after a 12-0 Wyoming Area run gave the Warriors a 25-21 lead at 4:24 of the third quarter. Wyoming Area’s Aaron Zezza completed the run with a steal and layup, one of seven turnovers Seminary had in the period.
“Except for the first three or four minutes of the third quarter, I thought that was our best defensive performance of the year,” Seminary coach C.J. Kersey said.
Sam Greenfield, Wyoming Area’s leading scorer, started the run with a 3-pointer, but the Blue Knights did a strong job slowing him down. The senior finished with a team-high nine points.
“He was our primary focus being their leading scorer,” said Seminary junior forward Dimitri Gnall, who finished with a game-high eight rebounds. “We had our other big — Nick Ganter — out, so our main goal was to stop (Greenfield). We felt if we did that and locked down on their two 3-point shooters, we’d come out with a W.”
Seminary finally snapped Wyoming Area’s run with a steal and layup by Jeremy Callahan, who finished with a game-high 15 points, at 3:21 of the third. It was the Blue Knights’ first basket of the quarter after missing their first five shots.
The Blue Knights then went on a 6-0 run and took the lead for good, 27-26, on a drive to the hoop by Gnall.
Callahan opened the fourth with a 3-pointer and Jake Koretz scored four of the game’s final five points as Seminary kept the Warriors off the board in the game’s final three minutes.
NOTE: The game was one of only two played Friday, with six others postponed. Several WVC coaches took advantage of the off night to scout the two teams including GAR’s Jerry Altavilla, Meyers’ Pat Toole, Holy Redeemer’s Paul Guido, Hanover Area’s Chris Gray and MMI Prep’s Joe Flanagan.
Nanticoke Area 45, Northwest 38
Nate Kreitzer scored 17 points and Jake Krupinski added 11 as Nanticoke Area defeated host Northwest to improve to 3-0 in Division 2 and 7-1 overall.
Sam Saxe led Northwest (0-3 Div. 3, 3-4) with 15. Walker Yaple added 11.
Postponements
Six WVC boys basketball games were postponed Friday night.
Dallas at Pittston Area will be played at 2:15 p.m. Saturday. Crestwood at Hazleton Area will be played at 7:15 p.m. Sunday.
Wyoming Valley West at Coughlin is now Jan. 13. Berwick at MMI Prep was moved to Jan. 20. Meyers at Holy Redeemer was rescheduled to Jan. 24. Tunkhannock at Hanover Area will be played Jan. 25.
Wyoming Seminary 44, Wyoming Area 34
WYOMING AREA (34) —Dylan Melberger 0 1-3 1, Aaron Zezza 3 0-0 7, Kyre Zielinski 3 2-28 , Sam Greenfield 4 0-0 9, Matt Wright 3 1-3 7, Dom Deluca 1 0-0 2, Dan Wiedl 0 0-0 0, Justin Alder 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 4-8 34.
WYO. SEMINARY (44) — Tyler Maddock 1 1-2 3, Jake Koretz 3 2-2 9, Nick Bufalino 0 0-0 0, Todd Phillips 3 2-2 9, Jeremy Callahan 5 3-5 15, Dimitri Gnall 4 0-2 8, Dan Paglia 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 8-11 44.
Wyoming Area`3`10`15`6`—`34
Wyo. Seminary`13`8`10`13`—`44
Three-point FGs — WA 2 (Zezza, Greenfield); WS 4 (Koretz, Phillips, Callahan 2).
Nanticoke Area 45, Northwest 38
NANTICOKE AREA (45) — Nate Kreitzer 6 1-2 17, Joe Bielecki 0 0-0 0, Colby Butczynski 1 2-3 4, Luke Myers 1 1-4 3, Trahjan Krupinski 1 4-4 6, Jake Krupinski 4 2-2 11, Andy Kozlofski 1 0-0 2, Dylan Szychowki 1 0-0 2. Totals 15 10-16 45.
NORTHWEST (38) — Matt Pierontoni 0 1-2 1, Tyler Stevens 3 3-6 9, Sam Saxe 5 2-2 15, Matt Saxe 0 0-0 0, Jaxson Yaple 1 0-0 2, Walker Yaple 4 0-0 11. Totals 13 6-10 38.
Nanticoke Area`17`12`12`4`—`45
Northwest`15`9`7`7`—`38
Three-point FGs — NA 5 (Kreitzer 4, J.Krupinski); NWT 6 (S.Saxe 3, W.Yaple 3).
