Pictured above: Carlos Rivas
The Wyoming Seminary and Western Wayne boys basketball teams are seeing positive signs in their attempted turnarounds under first-year head coaches.
Wyoming Seminary won for the second straight night, beating Wyoming Valley West, 53-44, to improve to 3-1 under Carlos Rivas. The Blue Knights were 4-19 last season.
Western Wayne won its second straight road game, beating Susquehanna, 36-35. The Wildcats, who broke a 39-game losing streak Saturday, are 2-2 under Lamont Tillery.
In Tuesday’s non-league boys basketball games:
Wyoming Seminary 53, Wyoming Valley West 44
Isaiah Stull scored 18 points to lead Wyoming Seminary to the home-court victory.
Stull and Jack Herron each hit a 3-pointer and made another basket during a 19-7 third quarter that the Blue Knights used to turn a five-point halftime deficit into a 40-33 lead.
Chief Montalvo added 11 points in the win. He had four points in the third quarter.
Jack Novelli hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter and finished with eight points.
Maki Wells went 8-for-10 from the line and led the Spartans with 12 points.
Western Wayne 36, Susquehanna 35
Evan Dean scored 13 points and led Western Wayne down the stretch at Susquehanna.
Dean put the Wildcats in front on a 3-pointer with 1:30 remaining and helped them hold on by hitting two free throws with 12 seconds left.
Western Wayne led 13-6 after one quarter and 23-13 at halftime before behind held to one third-quarter field goal as Susquehanna fought back.
Colton Stone led the Sabers with 21 points.
Tunkhannock 78, Elk Lake 58
Dylan Mateus needed less than six minutes to start 7-for-7 on 3-pointers and lead Tunkhannock to the romp over visiting Elk Lake.
Mateus opened the scoring from the right corner 37 seconds into the game.
Working primarily from the left side and usually in open space in transition, Mateus hit 3-pointers with 4:50, 4:26, 3:52, 3:14, 2:42 and 2:08 left in the quarter to put the Tigers up 25-7. He had three during a 13-0 run to make it 16-2 and back-to-back baskets for a 22-5 lead.
The Tigers held leads of 31-18 after one quarter and 53-30 at halftime.
Mateus finished with 29 points without hitting another 3-pointer.
Ben Chilson added 21 points and Shane Macko had 12.
Dawson Sherman scored 16 points and Wyatt Casselbury 14 for Elk Lake.
Valley View 56, Wyoming Area 38
L.V. Pegula and Taheed Jewell scored 14 points each to lead visiting Valley View, which took control late in the first half while improving to 4-0.
The Cougars outscored the Warriors, 16-2, over the last four minutes of the second quarter for a 34-17 halftime lead.
Dane Schutter led Wyoming Area with 12 points and Brady Noone added 10.
Hanover Area 59, Mountain View 27
Elijah Noe scored 19 points while leading host Hanover Area to its first victory while handing Mountain View its first loss.
Noe, who hit four 3-pointers, did all his scoring in the first three quarters for the Hawkeyes (1-4).
They built leads of 20-1 after one quarter, 33-12 at halftime and 49-15 through three quarters.
Brayden Sock, who finished with 11 points, and Noe had 7 points each in the first quarter. Sock did all his scoring in the first half with the help of three 3-pointers.
Hanover Area made 11 total 3-pointers in the rout.
Tanner Stout had nine points and Hudson Bain eight for the Eagles (2-1).
Mid Valley 52, Lake-Lehman 21
Ricky Vinansky scored 21 points and Danny Nemitz added 18 to lead visiting Mid Valley to victory.
The Spartans have won three straight, allowing 25 points per game, since losing, 46-44, to Bethlehem Freedom on Opening Night.
Carbondale 54, Forest City 38
Carbondale matched Valley View for the district’s best record at 4-0 after Holy Redeemer, which had started 4-0, lost.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first half with the Chargers leading 7-4 after one quarter and 17-10 at halftime.
Carbondale broke free in the third quarter, taking a 39-21 lead.
Wallenpaupack 50, Dunmore 33
Jake Holbert poured in 33 points to lead Wallenpaupack past visiting Dunmore.
Justin Blanding added 10 points.
Spring-Ford 64, Holy Redeemer 57
Sophomore Jacob Nguyen hit six 3-pointers and scored 27 points as Spring-Ford, a Class 6A team from District 1, handed visiting Holy Redeemer its first loss.
Spring-Ford ran out to a 17-3 lead after one quarter and was up 52-32 before Holy Redeemer scored 25 points in the fourth quarter.
Jacob Hunter led the Royals with 16 points while Darryl Wright had 15 and Zach Perta had 14.
MORE TUESDAY BOYS BASKETBALL COVERAGE
Dallas-Scranton Prep game story: Dallas defeats Scranton Prep – NEPA Sports Nation.
