YATESVILLE – Wyoming Area’s superior bench strength was the biggest difference in the game when the Lady Warriors defeated Pittston Area, 57-43, in Monday’s Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1-2 crossover girls basketball game.
In a comparison of benches, the Lady Warriors had statistical advantages of 26-7 in points scored, 9-4 in rebounds, 8-1 in steals and 1-0 in blocked shots.
Cassidy Orzel’s 17-point, seven-steal, Most Valuable Player-performance was a big part of those differences, but she was not alone in providing a boost off the Wyoming Area bench.
Jalen Rhodes played the role of defensive stopper while Ellie Glatz made sure the Lady Warriors were not hurt when senior center Addison Orzel got in foul trouble.
Rhodes entered the game soon after Alexa Noone did all the scoring in a game-opening, 7-0 run by Pittston Area.
While rotating in and out of the lineup the rest of the way, Rhodes was consistently able to deny Noone the ball, slowing down Pittston Area’s game MVP, who scored a game-high 21 points.
Noone had 17 points in the 15:53 she was on the floor without Rhodes. She had only four points in the 15:11 she played while Rhodes was playing for Wyoming Area.
“We had prepared and we continue to prepare Jalen for that role,” Wyoming Area coach Chad Lojewski said of Rhodes, who used her track sprinter’s speed along with the intensity and anticipation needed to stay in the passing lanes. “She’s lightning quick and she understands that role is what’s best for the team. She really makes a significant commitment to it, which is great because it gives us the flexibility we need.
“It was nothing that any of our other defenders did or didn’t do, but Alexa Noone just came out on fire on her home court. It changed up the tempo when we put her in there and she just did absolutely fantastic the whole game when we had her in.”
Glatz was called on when Addison Orzel picked up her second foul with 2:33 left in the first quarter, her third with a minute remaining in the half and her fourth with 2:08 to go in the third.
With the Lady Warriors going without their top rebounder, Glatz competed against the bigger Pittston Area frontcourt. She kept the Pittston Area rebounding advantage from getting too far out of hand and scored eight of her nine points in the fourth quarter when Wyoming Area was breaking open what had been a three-point game.
“Ellie was out there and she was put in a position where she was open for a 15-footer coming in cold of the bench and she did what I expected her to do,” Lojewski said. “She just rose to that moment.”
Lojewski said Glatz is one of at least seven players he can depend on in matchups and situations.
NUMBERS NOTES: Wyoming Area finished with five players with at least six points while Pittston Area had just two. … The Lady Warriors turned their 10 offensive rebounds into nine points while Pittston Area was only able to get 10 points from its 17 offensive boards. … Brooklyn Pedana played just 56.2 seconds for Pittston Area, but was the team’s third-leading scorer with five points.
Wyoming Area (57)
Nicole Silinskie 3-8 1-2 10, Aleah Kranson 4-9 3-4 11, Sarah Holweg 2-13 2-2 6, Addison Orzel 1-3 2-4 4, Kristi Skok 0-1 0-0 0, Cassidy Orzel 6-9 4-4 17, Jalen Rhodes 0-1 0-0 0, Ellie Glatz 2-3 5-7 9, Maria Amato 0-0 0-0 0, Lauren Kelly 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-47 17-23 57.
Pittston Area (43)
Mary Silinskie 0-8 0-0 0, Portia Weidlich 1-2 0-0 2, Leah Hodick 6-12 1-1 13, Alexa Noone 9-17 0-0 21, Andrea Ruby 0-5 0-0 0, Nicole Zambetti 0-0 0-0 0, Emily O’Brien 1-3 0-0 2, Emma Coles 0-2 0-0 0, Brooklyn Pedana 2-2 0-2 5, Kayleigh Walker 0-0 0-0 0.
Wyoming Area`7`13`12`25`—`57
Pittston Area`7`9`13`14`—`43
3-Point Shooting – Wyoming Area 4-13 (NSiinskie 3-4, COrzel 1-2, Kranson 0-1, Holweg 0-6), Pittston Area 4-9 (Noone 3-5, Pedana 1-1, Ruby 0-1, MSilinskie 0-2). Fouled Out – Hodick, Ruby. Rebounds – Wyoming Area 26 (AOrzel 7), Pittston Area 41 (Hodick 13). Assists – Wyoming Area 10 (Kranson 5), Pittston Area 8 (MSilinskie, Noone 2). Steals – Pittston Area 17 (COrzel 7), Wyoming Area 5 (Noone 3). Blocked Shots – Wyoming Area 4 (Holweg 2), Pittston Area 1 (Noone). Team Turnovers – Wyoming Area 11, Pittston Area 25. Total Fouls – Wyoming Area 13, Pittston Area 21. Technical Fouls – None.
Points in paint – Wyoming Area 21, Pittston Area 20. Points off rebounds – Pittston Area 10, Wyoming Area 9. Fastbreak points – Wyoming Area 11, Pittston Area 5. Points off turnovers – Wyoming Area 11, Pittston Area 5. Bench points – Wyoming Area 26, Pittston Area 7.
Ties – 3. Lead Changes – 1. Wyoming Area’s biggest lead – 56-38, 1:25-4. Pittston Area’s biggest lead – 7-0, 3:58-1.
