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DALLAS TWP. — North Pocono erased a double-digit lead and then hit a roadblock.
Dallas relied on its strong suit – its impenetrable defense – and let Bella Hill and Victoria Spaciano take care of the rest.
The Mountaineers took down North Pocono 46-43 Monday in the District 2 Class 5A girls basketball semifinal.
After Dallas moved up a division from last year’s title campaign, the Mountaineers advanced to face top-seeded Abington Heights. The championship game is set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
North Pocono erased a 12-point lead in the third quarter. The Trojans evened the score 31-31 at the 1:16 mark. Kylie Mastillo made a baseline layup to complete a six-point run. The Mountaineers came out of a timeout to immediately score a basket off the inbounds play. Spaciano made a jump shot to take the lead, and the Dallas defense kept the Trojans scoreless the rest of the period.
“I really just wanted them to settle down and catch their breath,” Dallas coach Kelly Johnson said. “I wanted them to regain their composure and get them after the timeout.”
Dallas stretched the lead to 38-31 when Bella Hill made a basket from underneath the rim. The Trojans trimmed it back to a one possession deficit (44-41) when Jenna Beach threw a downcourt pass to Carena Colo with less than three minutes remaining. North Pocono gained possession to play for the tie. Julia Kocher, though, picked off the inbounds play to secure the win.
“Our defense is what won the game for us,” Johnson said. “It made them flustered on their offensive end. Our defense and our kids’ commitment to defense kept us in the game. There were a few spots when we fell off the wagon, but for the most part our defense held its game.”
The Mountaineers was led by Hill with 16 points. Spaciano had a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
A 12-point run between the end of the first and the beginning of the second quarters allowed the Mountaineers to overtake the Trojans. North Pocono led 7-5 before the Mountaineers closed the opening stanza with six unanswered points. Audrey DelGaudio had a put-back jumper in the paint to supply Dallas its first lead with 22 seconds remaining. Seventeen seconds later, Spaciano made a basket for an 11-5 advantage.
“Spaciano is tough as nails,” Johnson said. “She had 13 rebounds tonight – most were offensive rebounds. She knows what to do with the ball and makes good decisions on the floor.”
The Mountaineers kept their engines running into the second quarter. Kocher hit a 3-point basket on the opening possession, and Hill grabbed a loose ball and went full court to force a traditional three-point play.
Dallas stretched its lead to its highest point just before the last minute of the first half. Once again, Hill stole the ball and went coast-to-coast for a layup to take a 25-13 advantage. The Trojans responded with six points in the last 45 seconds to cut their deficit to two possessions at the break.
District 2 Class 5A semifinals
Dallas 46, North Pocono 43
NORTH POCONO (43) — Jenna Beach 3 2-2 9, Sam Polishan 1 0-0 2, Carena Colo 4 1-1 10, Kylie Mastillo 2 1-2 5, Alicia Goldenziel 6 1-1 13, Morgan Seidita 1 0-0 2, Lylah Perea 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 5-6 43.
DALLAS (46) — Nadia Evanosky 0 0-0 0, Bella Hill 6 3-5 16, Victoria Spaciano 6 0-0 12, Audrey DelGaudio 2 0-0 4, Julia Kocher 3 0-0 7, Deanna Wallace 1 2-2 4, Lauren Charlton 1 1-2 3. Totals 19 6-9 46.
North Pocono`9`10`12`12 — 43
Dallas`11`14`12`13 — 46
Three-point goals — NP 2 (Beach, Colo); DAL 2 (Hill, Kocher)