Pictured above: Ben Chilson
Ben Chilson made five 3-pointers and his teammates combined for five more Tuesday night as Tunkhannock defeated host Wilkes-Barre Area, 62-50, in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 boys basketball game.
Chilson finished with 26 points as Tunkhannock reached .500 overall at 8-8 while moving to 3-5 in the division. Wilkes-Barre Area is 5-12, including 3-6 in the division.
Nine of Tunkhannock’s 3-pointers came in the middle two quarters when the Tigers turned a 15-9 deficit into a 48-33 lead.
Dylan Mateus connected twice from long range while Chilson and Brown hit one each in the second quarter. Mateus had eight points, Brown seven and Chilson five as the Tigers moved in front, 31-25, at halftime.
Chilson buried four 3-pointers while scoring 14 points in the third quarter. Shane Macko hit a 3-pointer for the only other Tunkhannock points as the lead swelled to 48-33 going into the fourth quarter.
Brown finished with 14 points and Mateus had 12.
David Jannuzzi (13), Waarithi Oseni (12) and Kharee Ascerno (10) all scored in double figures for the Wolfpack.
The top three teams in the division standings – Dallas (9-1), Pittston Area (8-1) and Hazleton Area (6-2) won Tuesday’s other WVC Division 1 boys games:
Dallas 59, Wyoming Valley West 41
Cameron Faux and Michael Bufalino led the way as Dallas maintained its half-game lead in the division with the road victory.
Faux got the Mountaineers off and running, doing all his scoring with five 3-pointers for 15 points in a 17-7 first quarter.
Bufalino led Dallas with 17 points.
Kenius Walker led the Spartans with 11 points.
Dallas, the No. 2 Big School in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams, has won 10 straight. The Mountaineers (15-1) have won their last 6 by at least 13 points.
Pittston Area 49, Crestwood 43
Silvio Giardina scored 17 points, including three 3-pointers, to lead Pittston Area to the road victory.
Matt Walter and Anthony Cencetti added 13 points each in the win.
Chaz Wright scored 13 points and Brandon Burbank added 11 for Crestwood.
Hazleton Area 71, Berwick 54
Hazleton Area used five double-figures scorers to overcome a 26-point night by Berwick sophomore Billy Hanson.
Chris Catrone led the Cougars with 20 points while Sam Guzman had 19.
Luke Gennaro added 12 points while Joey Marshall and Nikito Santiago added 10 each. Marshall also had eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocked shots.
