Pictured above: Tristan Lee
EDITOR’S NOTE: The semifinal round of the District 2 basketball playoffs began Friday night. While NEPASportsNation.com compiles more complete reports, here is a quick recap of a night of quarterfinal games.
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
The West Scranton boys led a list of three lower seeds that went on the road Friday night and won basketball playoff games to earn the chance to play in next week’s series of championship games at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Tristan Lee scored 34 points and Chris Ogden was again clutch at the foul line late as West Scranton knocked off highly regarded Dallas, 78-72, in overtime to reach the District 2 Class 5A final.
West Scranton and Abington Heights each defeated division champions to set up their district final March 3 at 8 p.m.
Top-seeded Abington Heights pounded North Pocono on the boards and shut down the Lackawanna League Division 2 champion Trojans on the perimeter in a 47-24, home-court victory.
Old Forge, in District 2 Class 2A girls, and Williamsport, in the District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional girls tournament, were the other road winners.
Leah Domiano hit a 3-pointer with seven seconds left as Old Forge overcame an 11-point halftime deficit and 28 points by Lackawanna Trail’s Mackenzie Schirg to win, 49-47.
Domiano made the ninth 3-pointer of the game for the Lady Devils to put them in front, 48-47.
Williamsport avenged a 20-point December loss on the same court to defeat Hazleton Area, 54-37.
The Lady Millionaires had 5 players score between 9 and 12 points.
The loss makes this the first time in eight years of finals at the arena that the Hazleton Area girls will not be appearing.
West Scranton’s boys entered the night as the only team lower than a fifth seed to have posted a win in this year’s playoffs.
The Invaders made it two in a row when they took out the No. 2 Big School boys team in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams. Dallas repeated as Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 champion this season and was coming off a district title and state semifinal appearance in 2022 when it was a Class 4A team.
Ogden, who went 11-for-12 from the line in the fourth quarter Tuesday when West Scranton ended Pittston Area’s reign as Class 5A champion, had seven points in overtime when he was 4-for-4 from the line.
Evan Laybourne-Boddie scored 12 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. Ogden added 15.
West erased a seven-point halftime deficit.
Mason Fedor sat all but 3:26 of the first half with two fouls for Abington Heights, then scored all 10 of his points and grabbed 10 of his 12 rebounds in the second half as the Comets broke open a four-point game.
Abington Heights went with a triangle-and-two defense to limit North Pocono to 10 second-half points.
The Old Forge girls will face Montrose March 3 at 4 p.m.
The Lady Meteors, who have won the last three Lackawanna Division 4 titles, are headed to the arena for the first time after beating Holy Cross, 46-28.
Mia Snyder scored 10 of her 20 points in the first quarter and Montrose held Holy Cross to four points in the second quarter for a 25-10 halftime lead.
In Class 3A boys, Holy Redeemer fought off an upset bid from Riverside in a rematch of the last two finals, pulling out a 50-43 victory.
The Royals will go for a third straight title against 2022 Class 4A finalist Mid Valley.
Mid Valley avenged a loss at Old Forge that cost the Spartans a tie for first place in Lackawanna Division 3.
Danny Nemitz scored 14 points, Ricky Vinansky added 13 and the Spartans held the Blue Devils to seven first-half points.
Williamsport will wait to learn the winner of Monday’s semifinal in which Wyoming Valley West travels to Wilkes-Barre Area.
In Class 4A girls, Scranton Prep defeated Nanticoke, 45-26, and Wyoming Area topped Valley View, 35-31.
Those results set up a game between an arena regular and another first-time qualifier.
Scranton Prep is 4-2 in six previous championship games at the arena.
Wyoming Area is not just headed to the arena for the first time, but has also earned the first Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association state tournament berth in school history.
Claire McGrath led Scranton Prep with 15 points.
Morgan Janeski scored 17 points, including two free throws with 26.8 seconds left to give Wyoming Area a five-point lead. Jocelyn Williams scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
Friday’s results settled the finalists for the five District 2 playoffs that had games.
DISTRICT 2 CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
(at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza)
Class 4A Girls
Scranton Prep vs. Wyoming Area, March 2, 6 p.m.
Class 3A Boys
Holy Redeemer vs. Mid Valley, March 2, 8 p.m.
Class 2A Girls
Montrose vs. Old Forge, March 3, 4 p.m.
Class 5A Boys
Abington Heights vs. West Scranton, March 3, 8 p.m.
MORE AHEAD
Return to Basketball – NEPA Sports Nation more-detailed reports on Tuesday’s action and in-depth coverage of the entire District 2 tournament.
