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SCRANTON — The 2013 and 2014 District 2 Class AAA girls basketball playoffs included a special semifinal matchup for Madison Ashby.
Ashby, a senior guard/forward with the top-seeded Scranton Prep Classics, got a chance to play against a Pittston Area team including at least one of her sisters — Eastin both years and Taryn last year.
“I wanted to play them last year,” Madison said Feb. 22 after leading the way when Scranton Prep returned to the semifinals with a 60-44 win over Berwick. “It was fun playing them the last two years. It’s always a fun matchup.
“We couldn’t play them this year, but I wish we could.”
Madison, however, saw the advantages in the alternative when her team and her sister’s team reached the semifinals again this year.
Instead of sisters playing against each other, the Ashby girls could support each other — in more ways than one — as they competed in different classifications this season.
Pittston Area moved up to Class AAAA, which competes on Tuesday and Friday nights. Scranton Prep remains on the Wednesday-Saturday cycle in Class AAA with the exception of weather delays.
Eastin has graduated from Pittston Area and is now the second-leading scorer at Emerson College.
Taryn is a sophomore with the Patriots, who like Madison, is third on her team in scoring.
“It’s nice seeing her games this year,” Madison said. “Because, we’re in different classes, we can go to each other’s games.
“We can root for each other.”
And, help each other.
Taryn’s first two District 2-4 Class AAAA playoff opponents at Pittston Area were Delaware Valley and Wallenpaupack, Lackawanna League opponents of Madison’s at Scranton Prep.
Madison’s first two postseason games were against Tunkhannock and Berwick, divisional rivals of Pittston Area in the Wyoming Valley Conference.
“We talked about things when she played Wallenpaupack,” said Madison, a Jenkins Township resident. “She had played Berwick.
“We help each other out, give each other details. Just today, she was giving me some key pointers before I left.”
Madison looked prepared for the Berwick game. She had eight points and two steals in the first quarter when the Classics forced 11 turnovers to open a nine-point lead on the way to a comfortable 60-44 victory.
“I thought Ashby played extremely well,” Berwick coach Bill Phillips said after Madison finished with 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting to share the scoring lead.
Taryn used her knowledge of Wallenpaupack to lead Pittston Area with 14 points while playing a key defensive role when the Patriots knocked out the two-time defending champions.
Both teams set themselves up to play for state tournament berths this weekend.
Scranton Prep, the Lackawanna League Division 1 champion, fell into Saturday’s third-place match-up against Nanticoke for the final District 2 berth in the state AAA playoffs.
Pittston Area advanced to Friday’s District 2-4 final against Hazleton Area for the lone available berth in state AAAA play.