11:45 p.m.
SIGNING OFF
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Good night from Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Don’t forget to check back on the website Sunday for much coverage from a championship weekend.
11:30 p.m.
PICKS RECAP
The Scranton Prep and Scranton boys altered a perfect weekend of picks for many of the panelists we put together to project the outcome of games at the arena.
As the Cavaliers took the floor against Valley View for the middle game of today’s five-game schedule, five panelists and the consensus had been right on picking winners through the first eight games. None made it to the end perfect.
Tara Macciocco, a newcomer to the panel this season after retiring from college coaching and joining the staff at Riverfront Sports in Scranton, led the way with the only 4-1 record and a 10-1 record overall.
Greg Butler, Bill Dempsey and the consensus were each 3-2 on the day and 9-2 overall.
Chris Kucharski was 3-1 on the day and 8-2 overall.
Doug Walsh’s picks and mine were 3-2 on the day to get to 8-3.
Kevin Clark, Scott Mackinder and Ben Magnotta also ended up 8-3, but with 2-3 final days.
Jason O’Malley and Joe Ross went 3-2 on the day and 7-4 overall.
More to come.
11:15 p.m.
THE DAY IN PICTURES
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Tim Drewes was stationed along the baseline throughout the day’s action.
See the pictures he captured in the Photo Gallery from each of the five games.
Class 6A boys: Scranton/ Williamsport Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 5A girls: Pittston Area/ Abington Heights Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 4A boys: Valley View/ Prep Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 2A boys: Holy Cross/ Blue Ridge Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 3A girls: Dunmore/Holy Redeemer Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Still more to come.
10:25 p.m.
BIG FINISH
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Scranton erased an 11-point Williamsport lead and a 12-game winning streak by the Millionaires.
With 7 players scoring between 7 and 13 points, the Knights knocked off the top-seeded Millionaires, 69-64, in Saturday night’s high-octane conclusion to a three-day, 11-game series of championship games at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
The Knights won their third straight District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional titles by ruining Williamsport’s trip in from District 4 for the third straight year.
The Millionaires always arrive with an imposing team, but this season’s squad came in particularly hot, averaging 74 points in the winning streak, including putting up 107 points on Academy Park.
Oliver Almonte and Dillon Lazdowsky scored 13 points each while Tony Battaglia and Jaheam Roberts joined them in double figures with 10 each.
Almonte also had six rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots.
The games are over and the arena is just about empty, but there is still much more coverage to come, both tonight and in the days ahead.
Williamsport led, 23-12, with 5:17 left in the second quarter.
The Millionaires got 31 points from George Whaley, but struggled from the line, going 13-for-32 (40.6 percent).
10:03 p.m.
REVENGE MATCH
WILKES-BARRE – Kallie Booth made sure Pittston Area won the only rematch in this year’s championship games.
Booth went on a personal nine-point streak in the fourth quarter to rally the Lady Patriots to a 36-32 victory over Abington Heights in the District 2 Class 5A girls basketball championship game.
Booth scored 12 of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter. She grabbed 10 rebounds, including 9 on the defensive end.
The win avenged a defeat in the same game a year ago. Abington Heights, the only team to play at the arena all eight years, is 6-2 in those games.
Abington Heights led by as much as 21-13 in the second quarter.
The Lady Comets were ahead from the last minute of the first quarter until a Booth 3-pointers with 3:07 left in the game.
Booth finished it off by hitting both ends of a one-and-one with 22.4 seconds left.
More to come.
6:39 p.m.
UP NEXT
WILKES-BARRE – Ben Magnotta, who along with Spencer Decker, has provided court-side reporting assistance throughout the weekend, has researched all the first-round opponents for District 2 teams.
District champions and selected second-place teams get to host games.
| Class | Gender | Day | Time | Visitor | Home |
| 6A | Boys | March 11 | 1-9, Coatesville (18-9) | 2/4SR-1, Williamsport (19-4) / Scranton (13-11) winner | |
| 6A | Boys | March 11 | 2/4SR-2, Williamsport (19-4) / Scranton (13-11) loser | 1-3, Lower Merion (22-4) | |
| 5A | Boys | March 10 | 12-4, Murrell Dobbins (25-2) | 2-1, Abington Heights (21-4) | |
| 5A | Boys | March 10 | 12-3, West Philadelphia (15-11) | 2-2, West Scranton (14-11) | |
| 4A | Boys | March 10 | 3-4, Octorara (17-8) | 2-1, Scranton Prep (16-9) | |
| 4A | Boys | March 10 | 4-3, Shamokin (18-7) | 2-2, Valley View (22-3) | |
| 4A | Boys | March 10 | 2-3, Nanticoke (17-9) | 11-2, Bethlehem Catholic (16-8) | |
| 3A | Boys | March 11 | 12-4, Science Leadership Academy at Beeber (18-7) | 2-1, Holy Redeemer (25-2) | |
| 3A | Boys | March 11 | 2-2, Mid Valley (19-6) | 4-1, North Penn Mansfield (22-1) / Troy (16-7) winner | |
| 2A | Boys | March 11 | 11-3, Minersville (16-9) | 2-1, Holy Cross (19-5) | |
| 1A | Boys | March 10 | 3-5, Mount Calvary Christian (18-7) | 2/11SR-1, Notre Dame ES (14-9) / Forest City (13-10) winner | |
| 1A | Boys | March 10 | 2/11SR-2, Notre Dame ES (14-9) / Forest City (13-10) loser | 4-2, Northumberland Christian (18-5) | |
| 1A | Boys | March 10 | 2/11SR-3, Bethlehem Christian (13-9) / MMI Prep (7-17) winner | 12-1, Girard Academic Music Program (10-5) | |
| 6A | Girls | March 10 | 1-9, Abington (21-5) | 2-1, Wyoming Valley West (16-8) | |
| 5A | Girls | March 11 | 12-4, Samuel Fels (15-5) | 2-1, Pittston Area (23-2) / Abington Heights (17-7) winner | |
| 5A | Girls | March 11 | 12-3, Archbishop Ryan (9-15) | 2-2, Pittston Area (23-2) / Abington Heights (17-7) loser | |
| 5A | Girs | March 11 | 2-3, Scranton (16-9) | 1-2, Villa Maria Academy (21-4) | |
| 4A | Girls | March 11 | 4-3 or 11-3, Lewisburg (17-8) or Northwestern Lehigh (25-2) / Blue Mountain (21-5) winner | 2-1, Scranton Prep (21-2) | |
| 4A | Girls | March 11 | 2-2, Wyoming Area (14-10) | 4-2, Jersey Shore (19-6) | |
| 3A | Girls | March 10 | 4-3, Bloomsburg (20-5) | 2-1, Dunmore (22-3) | |
| 3A | Girls | March 10 | 2-2, Holy Redeemer (17-11) | 4-1, Mount Carmel (23-2) | |
| 3A | Girls | March 10 | 2-3, Lake-Lehman (23-5) | 11-1, Palmerton (22-4) | |
| 2A | Girls | March 10 | 4-3, Northwest (19-6) | 2-1, Montrose (20-4) | |
| 1A | Girls | March 11 | 3-5, Harrisburg Christian | 2-1, Mountain View (18-6) |
6:01 p.m.
FIRST UPSET
WILKES-BARRE — Scranton Prep answered a Valley View comeback with one of its own.
Down seven before Roman Valvano buried a 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer, the Cavaliers went on to score 22 points in the fourth quarter as Brycen Martin led the way in the come-from-behind, 51-43 victory in the District 2 Class 4A boys basketball final.
Martin scored 12 of his 14 points and grabbed 4 of his 8 rebounds in the fourth quarter. He went 7-for-8 from the line during that time.
Daniel Santaniello added 13 points for Scranton Prep.
Eli Yusavage scored 20 points to lead Valley View, the Lackawanna League Division 1 champion and No. 1 Big School boys team in the Riverfront Sports Super Six Basketball Power Rankings of District 2 teams.
Valley View was on a 20-4 run from an 11-point deficit before Valvano’s 3-pointer.
The Cougars had beaten the Cavaliers twice in the regular season.
More to come.
4:46 p.m.
PHYSICAL BATTLE
WILKES-BARRE — The first close finish of the weekend could be shaping up.
Scranton Prep led by 11 early in the second quarter, but Valley View closed to within, 24-21, at the end of a physical half in the District 2 Class 4A boys final.
Daniel Santaniello from Scranton Prep is the leading scorer with 10 points, but also has three fouls.
Three players from each team with two fouls each.
More to come.
1:33 p.m.
BIG FINISH
WILKES-BARRE – Dunmore scored 25 of the game’s last 26 points Saturday afternoon to recover from a third-quarter deficit and pull away for a 50-30 victory over Holy Redeemer in the District 2 Class 3A girls basketball championship game.
Sophia Talutto led the win with 21 points and 5 steals. Ciera Toomey finished strong for 11 points, 10 rebounds and 7 blocked shots.
Freshman Jackie Brown came off the bench to score seven points early in the run, including the go-ahead, three-point play with a minute left in the third quarter.
Cadie Lewis dished out eight assists.
Jillian DelBalso led Holy Redeemer with 11 points.
11:36 a.m.
THE STORY IN PICTURES
WILKES-BARRE – We’re back at courtside at the arena getting ready for today’s five games.
Late Friday night and early today, two more photo galleries have been added from the later games Friday.
Class 5A boys: Abington Heights/ West Scranton Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
Classy 6A girls: Williamsport/ Wyoming Valley West Photo Gallery – NEPA Sports Nation.
More to come.
10:19 a.m.
PREDICTIONS
The championship series at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza is still looking for its first upset of the year as action moves to the last of three days.
Of our 11 panelists who predicted the outcome of championship games at the arena, 7 have been correct on all 6 games. As a result, the consensus is also 6-0, along with Greg Butler, Kevin Clark, Bill Dempsey, Tara Macciocco, Scott Mackinder and Ben Magnotta.
Chris Kucharski joins me at 5-1.
Jason O’Malley and Joe Ross are each 4-2.
In case you missed it earlier, or just need a reminder, here are the panel’s picks for Saturday:
SATURDAY’S GAMES
| CLASS 3A GIRLS Holy Redeemer vs. Dunmore | CLASS 2A BOYS Holy Cross vs. Blue Ridge | CLASS 4A BOYS Valley View vs. Scranton Prep | CLASS 5A GIRLS Pittston Area vs. Abington Heights | CLASS 6A BOYS Scranton vs. Williamsport | |
| GB | Dunmore by 3 | Holy Cross by 9 | Valley View by 2 | Abington Heights by 1 | Scranton by 2 |
| KC | Dunmore by 19 | Holy Cross by 13 | Valley View by 3 | Abington Heights by 1 | Williamsport by 9 |
| BD | Dunmore by 16 | Holy Cross by 10 | Scranton Prep by 1 | Abington Heights by 2 | Williamsport by 9 |
| CK | Dunmore by 11 | Holy Cross by 14 | Abstained | Pittston Area by 9 | Williamsport by 6 |
| TM | Dunmore by 14 | Holy Cross by 8 | Valley View by 6 | Pittston Area by 3 | Scranton by 7 |
| SM | Holy Redeemer by 3 | Holy Cross by 15 | Valley View by 7 | Pittston Area by 3 | Williamsport by 6 |
| BM | Dunmore by 6 | Holy Cross by 20 | Valley View by 5 | Abington Heights by 2 | Williamsport by 9 |
| JO’M | Dunmore by 22 | Holy Cross by 14 | Valley View by 3 | Pittston Area by 6 | Williamsport by 4 |
| TR | Dunmore by 8 | Holy Cross by 15 | Valley View by 9 | Pittston Area by 1 | Williamsport by 3 |
| JR | Dunmore by 17 | Holy Cross by 18 | Scranton Prep by 1 | Abington Heights by 3 | Scranton by 7 |
| DW | Dunmore by 9 | Holy Cross by 13 | Valley View by 6 | Pittston Area by 8 | Williamsport by 7 |
| Cons. | Dunmore by 11 | Holy Cross by 14 | Valley View by 4 | Pittston Area by 2 | Williamsport by 3 |
More to come.
9:12 a.m.
THE NUMBERS GAME
Before getting back to Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza and starting the five-game day to complete the three-day series of District 2 and subregional basketball championship games, there is still some coverage of Friday’s four games to review.
The expanded boxscores with all the statistics from Friday’s games are posted.
Find them at these links:
Class 5A boys: Class 5A boys expanded boxscore – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 6A girls: Class 6A girls expanded boxscore – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class 2A girls: Class 2A girls expanded boxscore – NEPA Sports Nation.
Class A girls: Class A girls expanded boxscore – NEPA Sports Nation.
More to come
