The District 2 basketball tournament moves into the semifinal round with nine games Friday.
There are four District 2 semifinals each in boys and girls, plus a District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional girls game.
NEPASportsNation.com editor Tom Robinson, who covers and writes about District 2 basketball for the website, is once again predicting the outcomes of games throughout the district and subregional playoffs.
After correctly predicting the winners of more than 90 percent of the games in last year’s tournament, Robinson hit 92.9 percent of the winners in the quarterfinal round of this year’s tournament. After handling the predictions throughout the early rounds, he will once again be joined by a panel of prognosticators for the championship games at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
DISTRICT 2 PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS
By Tom Robinson
(Home teams in CAPS)
CLASS 5A BOYS SEMIFINALS
ABINGTON HEIGHTS by 15 over North Pocono
DALLAS by 23 over West Scranton
CLASS 3A BOYS SEMIFINALS
HOLY REDEEMER by 10 over Riverside
MID VALLEY by 7 over Old Forge
DISTRICT 2-4 CLASS 6A GIRLS SEMIFINAL
HAZLETON AREA by 19 over Williamsport
CLASS 4A GIRLS SEMIFINALS
SCRANTON PREP by 28 over Nanticoke
WYOMING AREA by 6 over Valley View
CLASS 2A GIRLS SEMIFINALS
MONTROSE by 24 over Holy Cross
LACKAWANNA TRAIL by 5 over Old Forge
WHAT TO EXPECT
Of the 16 games played in the quarterfinals Thursday night, 15 were won by the higher-seeded teams on their home courts.
We’re expecting more of the same Friday.
The two Old Forge teams and the Valley View girls are all threats, but there is not any one road team that we are ready to pick to win in the nine Friday semifinals.
Home teams are 24-4 through the quarterfinal round.
Two of Friday’s road teams have already proved they are capable of beating their semifinal opponent.
The Old Forge girls won at Lackawanna Trail, 45-38, in their second game of the season.
The Old Forge boys split two Lackawanna Division 3 games with Mid Valley.
There are other rematches. The Abington Heights boys defeated North Pocono; the Hazleton Area girls defeated Williamsport, the Scranton Prep girls topped Nanticoke and the Montrose girls downed Holy Cross during the regular season.
RECAP
Thursday’s predictions were correct on 15 of 16 games, with Mid Valley girls beating Riverside the game missed. While there were no exact margins of victory, there were three games where the prediction here came within one point of being correct – wins by the Tunkhannock boys, Abington Heights girls and Lake-Lehman girls.
Thursday’s boys picks: 8-0 (100.0 percent)
Thursday’s girls picks: 7-1 (87.5 percent)
Thursday’s total picks: 15-1 (93.8 percent)
Total boys picks: 14-1 (93.3 percent)
Total girls picks: 12-1 (85.7 percent) with 1 exact margin.
Total picks: 26-2 (92.9 percent) with 1 exact margin.
