Wyoming Area won three times in seven days to take the lead in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 race that it won for the first time in more than a half-century last season.
The Warriors and Hanover Area started the week tied for first place in the division.
Wyoming Area won and Hanover Area lost Tuesday, then the Warriors followed it up by beating the Hawkeyes head-to-head 48-36 on their home court Friday.
The results left the Warriors at 5-0 in the division, now leading Holy Redeemer (4-1) by a game and Tunkhannock (3-1) by 1½.
Wyoming Area established control early on the road Friday, taking a 20-5 lead after one quarter.
Luke Kopetchny scored eight of his points in the quarter and had 14 of his game-high 19 by halftime.
Bruno Pizzano added 14 points.
Mitchell Rusinchak contributed five to the strong first quarter.
Jayden Coleman led Hanover Area with 14 points.
Wyoming Area won its fourth straight to improve to 11-1, matching Class 3A teams Dunmore, Elk Lake and Riverside for the best overall record in all of District 2. Because of strength of schedule factors in the power ratings, the Warriors are still third out of 12 teams in District 2 Class 4A behind Scranton Prep and defending champion Valley View.
Wilkes-Barre Area 53, Pittston Area 44
Mike Kelly scored a game-high 15 points to lead Wilkes-Barre Area, which won Tuesday’s WVC road game after Pittston Area led by a point at the end of the first quarter and at halftime.
Stephen Barnic led Pittston Area with 13 points and Brennan Callahan with 11.
The loss was the fourth straight and the sixth in the last seven games for Pittston Area. The Patriots are 0-4 and in last place in the division, but their 5-8 overall record leaves them third in the six-team seeding race in District 2 Class 5A.
Hazleton Area 56, Pittston Area 49
Dylan Stish scored 17 points to lead Hazleton Area past visiting Pittston Area in a WVC Division 1 game Jan. 3.
Lucas Lo Presto led the Patriots with 20 points.
John Jadus had six of his 10 in the first quarter to help Pittston Area to a 13-11 lead.
The game was tied going into the fourth quarter.
Wyoming Area 72, MMI Prep 46
With Luke Kopetchny leading the way in each case, Wyoming Area scored at least 20 points in each of the first three quarters of the Jan. 3 WVC Division 2 rout of host MMI Prep.
Kopetchny had 33 points. After scoring seven in the first quarter, he heated up with 14 in the second and 10 more in the third.
Drew Keating added 13 points in the win.
