By Tom Robinson, NEPASportsNation.com
CLARKS SUMMIT – Abington Heights and Scranton Prep will get together on the court Thursday in a meeting of ranked teams.
Monday night, from about eight miles apart, as the Lackawanna League Division 1 season started, they played a game of “can you top this?”
At home at Abington Heights, the Lady Comets shut out Scranton for the entire first quarter, to turn the Lackawanna’s most-anticipated Opening Night game into a rout.
Abington Heights rolled over Scranton, 55-28, after leading 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.
But, as has been the case for five-plus seasons, nobody in Lackawanna Division 1 tops Scranton Prep.
The Classics also made it through the first quarter of the first game of the season without allowing a point.
Scranton Prep pounded host West Scranton, 66-22, after not only taking a 23-0 lead at the end of the first quarter, but also tacking on seven more points for a 30-0 lead before allowing the Lady Invaders to get on the scoreboard.
Abington Heights 55, Scranton 28
Caroline Murray scored 20 points while Peyton Houlihan had a double-double to lead Abington Heights through the opener.
Maggie Coleman also wound up in double figures in points while Kate Scoblick got there in rebounds as the offense and board work supplemented the shut-down defense to turn the game into a rout.
By holding Scranton (6-3) to a season-low scoring output and 25 points below its average, Abington Heights, which closed December by winning the Taylor Lions Tournament title, won for the sixth time in seven games since an 0-2 start.
“We had a little bit of a confidence hit from a loss,” Murray said of a 51-47 loss at Loyalsock Township. “But that Taylor Lions championship game just boosted our confidence so much and that’s why we won today.”
Houlihan finished with 13 points and Coleman 11.
Scoblick grabbed 12 rebounds while Houlihan had 11.
“We’re really trying to concentrate on our rebounding, offensive and defensive,” Lady Comets coach Deanna Klingman said.
Coleman led the defensive effort with five steals while Scoblick and Madison Zalewski had three each.
When they weren’t making steals, the Lady Comets were making sure not to allow space for Scranton’s dangerous 3-point shooters.
Finley Bittenbender hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter, but those were the only points she managed against the Abington Heights defense.
“Be there on the catch,” Klingman said of her team’s emphasis against the perimeter attack and Bittenbender in particular. “Don’t bite on the step back, because she gets the ball off real quick.
“She’s probably the quickest shooter in the league.”
Zalewski chipped in with a well-rounded seven points, six rebounds and five assists to go along with her steals.
Murray hit two 3-pointers in the first quarter when Zalewski and Houlihan each added two baskets for the 14-0 lead after one quarter. Murray finished the first half with 13 points with her third 3-pointer creating a 22-5 lead 4:30 before halftime.
“Caroline had a real nice game,” Klingman said. “ … She’s been playing really composed; not just shooting the ball, but I think she’s attacking the rim this year, she’s rebounding for us and she’s locked in defensively.
“We went to a zone. We haven’t played a lot of zone this year, but she did a really good job on closing out.”
Abington Heights stretched a 30-10 halftime lead to 46-21 after three quarters with the help of seven 2points by Coleman in the third quarter.
Lanee Olson led Scranton with seven points, all in the second half.
“Our defense was key and what we knew we needed,” Murray said.
Scranton Prep 66, West Scranton 22
Scranton Prep, which is allowing fewer than 30 points per game on the season, improved to 7-0.
The five-time defending division champions ran their Lackawanna League winning streak to 68 games.
Gianna Cafarella led the Classics with 17 points.
Rita Collins added 11 points and Ashlyn Moore had 10.
Scranton Prep, the top-ranked Big School girls team in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams, hosts No. 4 Abington Heights Thursday night.
