Hayden Hosie scored a team-high 15 points and led the Holy Cross dominance through the middle portion of the game Tuesday night as the Crusaders opened the Lackawanna League Division 3 boys basketball season by handing host Old Forge its first defeat, 55-43.
Hosie had nine of his points during a stretch from midway through the second quarter until the early moments of the fourth when the Crusaders outscored the Blue Devils, 25-9. He made five free throws during that time as part of a 7-for-7 night at the line.
Old Forge had held Holy Cross scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter to take its biggest lead, 16-8.
The Crusaders pulled within 18-17 at halftime.
Seven players got involved in the scoring during the game-changing stretch.
Gabe Gonzales opened the second-half scoring and Logan Tierney followed to complete a 13-2 burst over six minutes for a 21-18 lead.
After the last two of the game’s seven lead changes and the second and final tie, the Crusaders scored nine straight points.
Hosie put Holy Cross ahead to stay, 26-24, on two free throws.
Matt Lyons and Hosie added baskets before the quarter ended and Michael Hughes opened the fourth with a 3-pointer for a 33-24 lead.
Hughes and Gonzales finished with 11 points each for Holy Cross.
Joe Macciocco led Old Forge with 22 points, including a personal, 8-0 run to an 11-6 lead late in the first quarter. Tyler Pepsin added 12 points.
The victory made it 11 straight for the Crusaders in regular-season Division 3 games. They won their last 10 after an 0-2 start last season, but lost to Mid Valley in a playoff for the title.
Old Forge, which finished third in the division last season, entered league play with a 7-0 overall record.
The Blue Devils entered the game ranked second among Small School boys teams in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams. Division 3 rivals Mid Valley, Holy Cross, Riverside and Carbondale ranked third through sixth.
Holy Cross is home Friday night in another ranked battle with Riverside, another of the Opening Night winners.
In other Lackawanna League Division 3 games Tuesday:
Mid Valley 43, Dunmore 32
Ricky Vinansky hit two 3-pointers while Mid Valley was allowing just four points during the second quarter when the visiting Spartans took control.
Dunmore led 7-6 at halftime, but Mid Valley move in front 19-11 at halftime and remained in front from there.
Danny Nemitz scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half for Mid Valley. Vinansky finished with 11.
Cullen Smith, the only Dunmore player to score during the second quarter, also had 12 points.
Riverside 64, Carbondale 49
Riverside broke open a four-point game by outscoring visiting Carbondale, 18-7, in the fourth quarter.
Lakeland 59, Montrose 50
Antonio Hazelton scored 18 points to lead Lakeland to the win in the non-league game between the teams that had the opening byes in Divisions 3 and 4.
Montrose’s Sam Stashko scored a game-high 20 points.
CREDITS: The roundup includes information reported by NEPA Sports Nation Student Journalist Spencer Decker from Old Forge. Photo of Hayden Hosie free throw by Alexander Stabinski.
