Pictured above: Molly Walsh (24) in file action earlier this season for Dallas. (Tony Callaio Photo)
A frustrating first month of the season did not deter the Dallas girls basketball team from improving over the past 2½ weeks.
Wyoming Valley West learned the hard way Monday night just how far the Lady Mountaineers have come.
With freshman Molly Walsh producing a double-double in points and rebounds by halftime, Dallas took control early in a 55-41 victory that knocked the visiting Lady Spartans out of a share of the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 lead.
When the teams first met, to begin the New Year, Wyoming Valley West won by 22. This time, Dallas built multiple 24-point leads before Wyoming Valley West cut into the margin with a 14-4 fourth quarter.
Walsh scored 22 points in the win while Victoria Spaciano added 18.
Their scoring, combined with the team’s early defensive work to put Dallas in command.
Dallas held Wyoming Valley West scoreless for the first 3:50 and took a 15-4 lead after one quarter.
The lead ballooned to 29-10 with 2:56 left in the half before Wyoming Valley West fought back with six straight points.
Dallas scored the last three of the first half and the first five of the second half with an Elizabeth Viglone 3-pointer creating a 37-16 lead nearly three minutes into the third quarter.
The lead reached 24 late in the third quarter and stayed there at 51-27 entering the last eight minutes.
Mackenzie Perluke led Wyoming Valley West with 16 points.
Dallas followed up the loss in the first meeting with Wyoming Valley West by falling to Berwick, which shares last place in the division. At that point, the Lady Mountaineers were 0-3 in the division and 2-6 overall with the blowout loss to the Lady Spartans and the frustrating part of their start – a trio of losses by two points and a pair of defeats by one.
Since then, Dallas is 4-3, with all but one of the games in division play and has won a pair of one-point decisions.
The loss was damaging to Wyoming Valley West, which had won five straight and seven of its previous eight.
The Lady Spartans dropped to 7-2 and 12-4, falling behind Pittston Area into second place in the division and dipping below Hazleton Area to third place in the District 2-4 Class 6A Subregional seeding race.
MORE RECENT WVC DIVISION 1 GIRLS BASKETBALL COVERAGE
Pittston Area-Berwick Saturday game: Lady Patriots rally, win at Berwick – NEPA Sports Nation.
Friday roundup: GIRLS ROUNDUP: Valley West takes over WVC Division 1 lead – NEPA Sports Nation.
Coach suspension: Gregory suspended 2 more games – NEPA Sports Nation.
Wednesday roundup, including Wyoming Valley West win over Pittston Area: Valley West hands PA first defeat – NEPA Sports Nation.
