The Wyoming Valley Conference just completed its only three-game week on the 2022-23 basketball schedule.
Dallas and Pittston Area matched 3-0 weeks to hold the top two spots in Division 1 boys and remain even in the loss column. Dallas improved to 8-1 in the division and 14-1 overall and Pittston Area moved to 7-1 and 11-4.
The Mountaineers held their half-game division lead with the help of beating third-place Hazleton Area, which also entered the week with just one loss in WVC play. Hazleton Area, which is 5-2 and 9-6, and Tunkhannock played two WVC games each while the other six division members played games on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
A look back at the week’s games:
SATURDAY
Dallas 70, Wilkes-Barre Area 43
Dallas used a strong start and a balanced attack to defeat visiting Wilkes-Barre Area, avenging its only loss of the season and running its overall winning streak to nine games.
The Mountaineers led 18-6 after one quarter.
Nick Williams led Dallas with 13 points.
Jude Nocito added 11 points while Darius Wallace, Mikey Cumbo and Michael Bufalino added 10 each.
Vincent Garrett led the Wolfpack with nine points.
Pittston Area 51, Berwick 48
Pittston Area rallied in the fourth quarter to post the win at home.
The Patriots opened the fourth by outscoring the Bulldogs, 13-5. Jack Long had five points in the run, which was capped by Silvio Giardina’s drive for a 49-43 lead with 1:33 left.
Berwick closed to within 49-48, but Anthony Cencetti hit two free throws with 17.6 seconds left and a late chance at the tying 3-pointer was no good.
Giardina led Pittston Area with 16 points. Long added 13 and Cencetti had 12.
Sean Murphy and Jace Degroat, who did all his scoring on 3-pointers, each had 12 points for Pittston Area.
Degroat and Giardina each made three 3-pointers in the first half, which ended with Berwick on top, 28-26.
Wyoming Valley West 41, Crestwood 37
Emmanuel Lewis scored 9 of his 13 points in the first quarter to get visiting Wyoming Valley West out to a 13-8 start.
The Spartans held the Comets to eight points in each of the first three quarters on the way to improving to 3-2 in their five games since an 0-10 start.
Wyoming Valley West overcame 6-for-14, fourth-quarter foul shooting.
Kenius Walker made three 3-pointers while adding 11 points in the win.
Drew Sechleer led Crestwood with 12 points.
THURSDAY
Dallas 59, Hazleton Area 37
Dallas rolled in the meeting of Big School teams from the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
The Mountaineers broke away with a 23-8 fourth quarter.
Nocito scored 13 points, Wallace had 12 and Buffalino added 11.
Chris Catrone led Hazleton Area with nine points.
Pittston Area 44, Wyoming Valley West 25
Giardini drilled five 3-pointers while scoring 21 points to lead host Pittston Area.
The Patriots took an 11-1 lead after one quarter, then Giardina hit four 3-pointers in the middle quarters and Pittston Area gave up just two fourth-quarter points.
The Patriots led 24-8 at halftime and 37-23 going to the fourth quarter.
Crestwood 50, Wilkes-Barre Area 42
Sechleer went 10-for-10 from the line while scoring half of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter to help Crestwood finish off visiting Wilkes-Barre Area.
Brandon Benjamin led the Wolfpack with 14 points while Waarithi Oseni added 10.
Tunkhannock 77, Berwick 62
Ben Chilson made five 3-pointers while scoring 27 points to lead host Tunkhannock.
Shane Macko added 19 points in the win.
Berwick scored 20 points in each of the first two quarters for a 40-35 halftime lead, but Tunkhannock took control with a 26-10 third quarter.
Sean Murphy led the Bulldogs with 25 points.
TUESDAY
Pittston Area 75, Tunkhannock 71
Cencetti scored 8 of his 25 points during overtime, including 6 while Pittston Area was overcoming a three-point deficit in the last 2:10 by outscoring host Tunkhannock, 10-3.
The Patriots made all 15 of their free throws after halftime, including 13 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Giardina, who had 8 points in the fourth quarter when Pittston Area rallied from 4 down, and Long each finished with 19 points.
Long hit two free throws to start the comeback in overtime.
Cencetti drove for two baskets, getting the second chance after a steal.
Pittston Area broke the Tunkhannock press with Ciaran Bilbow setting up Matt Walter for a layup and 73-68 lead with 20 seconds left.
Dylan Mateus hit a 3-pointer to bring the Tigers back within two, but Cencetti made two free throws with 10 seconds left.
Chilson scored 27 points to lead Tunkhannock.
Dallas 64, Crestwood 45
Nocito scored all 16 of his points in the middle quarters to lead host Dallas.
Nocito had three of his four 3-pointers during the second quarter. He had 11 points in the quarter.
Darius Wallace then scored 9 of his 11 points in the third quarter. Wallace, Nocito, Cumbo and Cameron Faux all made 3-pointers during the 24-5 quarter that Dallas used to open a 52-32 lead.
The Mountaineers made 11 total shots from 3-point range in the game.
Brandon Burbank had 14 points and Sechleer 10 for Crestwood.
Hazleton Area 62, Wyoming Valley West 51
Catrone scored 21 points and Santiago added 20 for host Hazleton Area, which pulled away from a two-point game at halftime.
Joey Marshall added nine points and eight rebounds.
Luke Gennaro and Sam Guzman had five assists each.
Wilkes-Barre Area 57, Berwick 38
Benjamin scored 19 points and Oseni added 15 to lead visiting Wilkes-Barre Area to the win.
Benjamin had five points during an 11-2 second quarter to open a 25-12 halftime lead.
Matt Lonczynski led Berwick with 17 points.
