By Marisa Dambach, NEPASportsNation.com
WESTFALL TWP. – Eternity Aiken led Wilkes Barre Area with 16 points and 9 rebounds Tuesday afternoon, helping the Wolfpack keep its undefeated record intact by prevailing over Delaware Valley in the opening girls game at the Delaware Valley Basketball Classic.
“I think we did a great job, [and] they did what I asked them to do,” Wilkes-Barre Area coach Mary Mushock-Namey said. “We ran the floor, which is our specialty.”
The Wolfpack outscored the Warriors, 22-0, in the first quarter.
Aiken led the team with nine points in the paint while Diamond Thornton scored five, also from in the paint. The Wolfpack got there by constantly driving to the basket.
Delaware Valley couldn’t get on the board until scoring the first five points of the second quarter.
Wilkes-Barre Area’s defensive efforts kept the Warriors contained, allowing them only 4 more points in the quarter while scoring 16 to take a 38-9 halftime lead.
Aiken once again kept the offense alive in the third quarter with a layup, and a free throw made.
Mackenzie Evans scored a 3-pointer to continue adding to the lead.
The Wolfpack kept up the defensive work in the fourth quarter while adding two more 3-pointers to finish out its seventh win of the season, matching Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 rivals Hazleton Area and Pittston Area for the best overall record among District 2 girls teams.
Wilkes-Barre Area’s defense continued to dominate in the lane while holding Delaware Valley to 10 second-half points.
“(We) played defense in the first half, which got us out to a big lead, and I think we moved the basketball really well and played team basketball today,” Mushock-Namey said.
The Wolfpack return to the court to face Minisink Valley on Thursday. The Warriors face the New York State school Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the three-team, round-robin event.
