Michael Bufalino finished with 23 points and Dallas broke loose for 45 points in the middle two quarters Friday night to take control of its game at Pittston Area on the way to a 62-48 victory that forced a three-way tie for the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 boys basketball lead.
Dallas scored 25 points in the second quarter and 20 in the third while turning an 11-8 advantage into a comfortable, 56-38 lead.
No. 3 Dallas (10-1 overall) defeated No. 5 Pittston Area (8-4) in the meeting of teams in the Big School boys portion of the Riverfront Sports Super Six Power Rankings of District 2 basketball teams.
The Mountaineers are defending champions, but it was the Patriots that entered the night with the perfect record and lead in the division. Dallas, Pittston Area and Hazleton Area, which won, 61-60, at Wilkes-Barre Area are now tied for first at 4-1.
Bufalino had seven points in the first quarter. He scored 9 in the second and Jude Nocito had 8 of his 13 points as the Mountaineers assumed a 36-19 halftime lead.
Pittston Area kept up with the fast scoring pace in the third quarter when Silvio Giardina hit four 3-pointers. Giardina finished with five 3-pointers and 21 total points.
Mikey Cumbo and Nick Williams chipped in with nine points each for Dallas while Darius Wallace had eight.
Anthony Cencetti scored 13 points for Pittston Area. He had six of the team’s eight first-quarter points.
The win was the fifth straight for Dallas. Pittston Area had won its previous three games and seven of its last eight.
