The top four teams in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 girls basketball got together Thursday night, producing two games that went down to the final buzzer.
Pittston Area won at home to hold on to sole possession of first place and Wilkes-Barre Area pulled out a win on the road to break out of a tie for second place in the division.
In Thursday’s WVC Division 1 games:
Pittston Area 49, Hazleton Area 47
Kallie Booth erased the last Hazleton Area lead with a 3-pointer, then broke the last tie with a free throw, all in the final 44 seconds as Pittston Area recovered in time to win at home.
Hazleton Area had scored nine straight points to cap a 15-3 run that allowed the Lady Cougars to overcome a 39-28 deficit in the final seven minutes.
From there, the teams traded the lead four times in the last three minutes.
Booth accounted for the final lead change on her 3-pointer from the left wing for a 47-45 lead with 44 seconds left.
Daniella Ranieli pulled down a defensive rebound with less than five seconds left and completed a 22-point night by hitting one of two free throws with less than two seconds remaining.
Sophia Shults led the Hazleton Area comeback attempt. She converted an Alexis Reimold steal into a fastbreak layup early in the run, then followed up a three-point play with 3:41 left with a 3-pointer 33 seconds later to pull the Lady Cougars within 42-40.
Olivia Williams made one of two free throws with 2:58 left and the rebound went out of bounds to Hazleton Area. On the ensuing play, Reimold cored from in the lane for a 43-42 Hazleton Area lead.
Ranieli’s steal and drive put Pittston Area back in front with 1:21 remaining, but Brianna Kennedy scored for Hazleton Area from the right elbow to send the Lady Cougars into the final minute with a 45-44 lead.
After Booth put Pittston Area in front, Williams tied the game by hitting a 5-footer from the left side off an offensive rebound with 23 seconds remaining.
Pittston Area turned a 23-22 halftime lead into a 38-28 advantage going to the fourth quarter with the help of 12 third-quarter points by Ranieli.
Booth finished with 12 points.
The Lady Patriots have won three straight since last week’s loss to Wyoming Valley West, improving to 9-1 in the division and 17-1 overall.
Hazleton Area is 6-4 and 13-5.
Wilkes-Barre Area 46, Wyoming Valley West 45
Diamond Thornton scored 15 points, including the last 5 of the game, to lead Wilkes-Barre Area to the road victory with second place on the line.
Thornton received a pass as she headed up the left side in transition with the Wolfpack trailing late. She set her feet and launched the game-winning 3-pointer from near the left corner with 10.2 seconds left.
Wyoming Valley West was playing without leading scorer Mackenzie Perluke because of an injury and head coach Gary Ferenchick because of a one-game Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association suspension for receiving two technical fouls Tuesday night at Wyoming Area. Assistant Keith Ferenchick, the head coach’s brother, ran the team in a game that was close most of the way.
Thornton scored seven points in the fourth quarter.
Eternity Aiken added 13 points in the win, including the only 4 Wilkes-Barre Area managed in the third quarter while Wyoming Valley West was rallying from a 26-18 halftime deficit to tie the game.
Emma Krawczeniuk scored all 11 of her points while the Wolfpack was building that halftime lead.
Claudia Siegfried led Wyoming Valley West with 14 points, including three 3-pointers. Kalia Saunders added 10 points.
Wilkes-Barre Area improved to 8-2 and 16-2.
Wyoming Valley West dropped its third straight to fall to 7-3 and 12-6.
Dallas 48, Berwick 35
Elizabeth Viglone’s 22 points led Dallas to the road victory.
Viglone had 13 points in the middle two quarters when the Lady Mountaineers went from a 13-11 deficit to a 37-23 lead. She finished 8-for-8 from the line as part of a 14-for-16 effort by the team.
RaeAnna Andreas led Berwick with 16 points.
Crestwood 42, Tunkhannock 31
Kendall Petrosky scored 13 points to lead Crestwood’s win over visiting Tunkhannock.
Keira Dougherty and Jordan Andrews from Crestwood, as well as Maci Iddings and Anna Williams from Tunkhannock, all scored 10 points.
