Williamsport ended not only Hazleton Area’s season, but an impressive historical streak for the Lady Cougars.
With 5 players scoring between 12 and 9 points, the Lady Millionaires upset host Hazleton Area, 53-37, Friday night in a District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional girls basketball semifinal.
Williamsport avenged an early-season, 20-point loss. The Lady Millionaires built a double-figures lead in the first half and ended a Lady Cougars’ streak of eight straight subregional championship game appearances, all in the largest enrollment classification.
Hazleton Area split those eight games, going 4-3 in the first seven years of championships at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. With the loss, the Abington Heights girls are the only team that has made it to the arena in all eight seasons of championships there.
Nadirah Tutter led Williamsport with 12 points.
Alexandra Chilson, who scored all of her points in the second half, and Payton Baney added 11 points each. Cierra Rainer, who did all her scoring in the first half, and Mia Nieto, who hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first quarter, had nine points each.
Williamsport took leads of 14-6 after one quarter and 27-16 at halftime.
Sophia Shults scored 13 points and Alexis Reimold added 9 for Hazleton Area.
Fourth-seeded Williamsport (10-14) advances to face the Wyoming Valley West/Wilkes-Barre Area winner Friday at 6 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza for the title.
Hazleton Area was the only top seed in any of the district or subregional events involving District 2 teams to not make it out of the first week. The Lady Cougars finished (16-7).
