Abington Heights could not quite match the 35-point first quarter the Comets put up to open the season two nights earlier.
The Comets, however, may have been even more impressive offensively with their start Thursday night.
Playing at Tunkhannock in a meeting of ranked Big Schools, Abington Heights scored 34 first-quarter points on the way to an 81-35 rout.
The Comets surpassed 50 points by halftime for the second straight game, living up to their No. 1 ranking while pounding Tunkhannock, the fourth-ranked team in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
Will Marion scored 17 points and Ryan Nealon added 13.
They combined to lead the big start, each reaching double figures in scoring in the first quarter. They were joined there later in the game by three teammates.
Mason Fedor scored 11 points while freshman Jordan Shaffer and Patrick Walsh came off the bench to score 11 and 10.
Ben Chilson led the Tigers with 13 points.
Tunkhannock opened the scoring on a Garrett Yuhas 3-pointer and led 5-4 early.
Abington Heights then ran off 12 straight points for a 16-5 lead just 2:50 into the game.
After Tunkhannock got a 3-pointer from Josh Brown and pulled within 16-10, Abington Heights had streaks of 8 and 10 points before the quarter ended with the Comets in front, 34-12.
Nealon hit back-to-back 3-pointers during the last streak of the quarter. He had three 3-pointers and 11 points in the quarter while Marion added two 3-pointers and 10 points.
Abington Heights added eight more points in the first minute of the second, running away 42-12 on what had become an 18-point streak as part of a 26-2 run.
Walsh had nine points in the second quarter as Abington Heights built the lead to 53-22.
The entire second half was played under the Mercy Rule.
Under those running clock conditions, Abington Heights held Tunkhannock to 13 second-half points.
Fedor had nine points in the third quarter as the lead expanded to 67-27.
Shaffer hit three second-half 3-pointers, including two while scoring eight points in the fourth quarter.
Abington Heights, which won 76-32 at Wyoming Seminary in the opener, finished with 11 baskets from 3-point range.
The Comets lost returning all-star game Matt Show to an injury midway through the first quarter. Show limped off the court and later left the gym on crutches.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Freelance journalist Ben Magnotta contributed to this report, including the photo that appears at the top.
