EDITOR’S NOTE: Lackawanna League Divisions 1 and 2 boys basketball finished their regular season Tuesday night while Divisions 3 and 4 were on their next-to-last playing date. While NEPASportsNation.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of the night’s most important developments.
Pictured above: Valley View’s Taheed Jewell is guarded by Scranton Prep’s Chase Scanlan. (Tom Robinson Photo)
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
SCRANTON – Valley View and Abington Heights fought off upset bids a mile apart in Scranton to finish tied at the top of the Lackawanna League Division 1 boys basketball standings.
Holy Cross clinched at least a tie for first place in Lackawanna Division 3.
Forest City moved into a tie for the Lackawanna Division 4 lead.
Mid Valley kept its hopes alive in Division 3.
Blue Ridge won a non-league meeting of Small School boys teams in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
Those were the most significant of the results as the top two divisions of Lackawanna League boys basketball ended their regular season and the bottom two divisions moved within one more playing date of doing so.
Valley View climbed out of an early seven-point hole at Scranton Prep, then rallied for a 69-66 victory.
Eli Yusavage scored 22 points and A.J. Kucharski added 20 for the Cougars.
Abington Heights pulled away from a three-point game in the last 10 minutes to defeat West Scranton, 62-53.
Robby Lucas scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to lead four Comets in double figures.
The Cougars and Comets each finished 11-2 in the league and will meet Friday at 7:30 at Scranton High School for the Division 1 title. They are the second game of a championship doubleheader starting with the Division 2 girls game between North Pocono and Wallenpaupack.
The league could need more boys playoffs Saturday, but that will not be determined until Divisions 3 and 4 finish up Thursday night.
Gabe Gonzales scored 7 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter when Holy Cross held off a comeback by visiting Carbondale to win, 54-49, and finish its Lackawanna Division 3 schedule at 10-2.
Holy Cross has the division’s final bye on Thursday.
Mid Valley broke away from a one-point game at halftime with host Lakeland for a 61-40 win to remain within a half-game of the division lead.
The Spartans, who got 26 points from Danny Nemitz, need to win Thursday at Old Forge to force a tie and a playoff for the division title.
Ricky Vinansky added 16 points for Mid Valley.
Blue Ridge had a bye Tuesday in Division 4 and Forest City took advantage of that to move into a tie for first place by beating visiting Montrose, 69-52.
D.J. Heath scored 25 of his 32 points for the Foresters while they were building a 46-28 halftime lead.
Forest City and Blue Ridge are each 10-1 with losses only to each other. Forest City is at Elk Lake and Blue Ridge is at Montrose Thursday.
While Blue Ridge had the night off from the division race, it went on the road and defeated a higher-ranked opponent from the Super Six.
The Raiders let a 17-point lead get away, then recovered to beat Riverside, 55-52.
The host Vikings went in front by a point in the final minute, then Connor Cranage and J.J. Rosa each made two free throws for the last four points of the game.
Cranage led Blue Ridge with 15 points.
MORE
Tuesday’s scoreboard: Tuesday’s basketball scoreboard – NEPA Sports Nation.
COMING UP
Return to Basketball – NEPA Sports Nation more-detailed reports on Tuesday’s action.
