Pictured above: Rykeese Cenord, shown in the subregional championship game victory, had seven assists Saturday. (Tim Drewes Photo)
By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
SCRANTON – Dion Kennedy and Jeremiah Marshall led Coatesville’s dominance over the first five minutes of the second half and the Red Raiders held off a rally by Scranton to start the fourth quarter Saturday when the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 6A boys basketball tournament opened.
Kennedy scored 23 points, including going 5-for-6 in a 12-point streak to start the third quarter, as visiting Coatesville ended Scranton’s eight-game winning streak and season with a 68-58 victory.
Scranton freshman Tony Battaglia had all of his team-leading 11 points in an 11-2 streak during a span of 1:21 to end the third quarter and start the fourth, cutting an 18-point deficit to 9.
The District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional champion Knights, who started the season 3-8, could not get any closer than eight.
“I’m so proud of this team – district champions and regional champions,” coach Tony Battaglia said of a group that featured three juniors, a sophomore and his freshman son among the nine who played in the state game.
Kennedy was 9-for-12 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the line while finishing with 23 points and 3 assists. Marshall scored 11 points, dished out 6 assists and made 4 steals.
Scranton had eight players score at least five points.
While Battaglia was 3-for-6, Dillon Lazdowsky went 3-for-7 on 3-pointers to add nine points.
Dohnavin Laybourn-Boddie, who grabbed a game-high five rebounds, and Oliver Almonte, who had five assists, scored eight points each. Rykeese Cenard had six points and a game-high seven assists.
Scranton’s only lead was 3-2 on a Lazdowsky 3-pointer.
The Knights got within a possession four times in the second quarter on two more Lazdowsky 3-pointers, one by Jaheam Roberts and a dunk off a drive by Almonte.
After reaching intermission within 26-22, Scranton ran into trouble with Coatesville’s pressure to begin the second half.
Kennedy opened with a baseline jumper, then the Red Raiders got three straight baskets and four out of six off of steals during the 12-0 run to a 38-22 lead with 3:07 left in the third.
Kennedy made his first four shots and had 10 points in the run.
Marshall made steals and fed teammates for baskets three times in the run. He had all of his assists and steals in the quarter, assisting on six of the team’s nine third-quarter baskets.
Battaglia hit 3-pointers with 8 seconds left in the third and again 15 seconds into the fourth.
After Coatesville scored, Battaglia hit another 3-pointer from the wing, then made a steal and scored on the fastbreak to pull the Knights within 46-37.
Coatesville, the ninth-place team from District 1, stopped the momentum there to advance to the second round with a 19-9 record.
Scranton finishes 14-12.
