Bruno Pizzano (21) steals the ball and then dishes off to Luke Kopetchny (3) for a fast break against Holy Redeemer on Tuesday at the Warriors’ gym. Wyoming Area scored the game’s final 13 points to remain unbeaten in the division.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Luke Kopetchny (3) stops and pops a 15-footer for the Warriors.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Drew Keating (11) scoops up a rebound and then scores for Wyoming Area against Holy Redeemer.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
EXETER — Mitchell Rusinchak gave Wyoming Area’s offense a much-needed boost in the third quarter Tuesday night.
The Warriors’ defense seized control down the stretch.
The combination kept the Warriors atop the Division 2 standings in Wyoming Valley Conference boys basketball.
Rusinchak nailed all three of his 3-pointers in the third quarter, and Wyoming Area held Holy Redeemer without a point over the game’s final six minutes for a 60-49 win.
Wyoming Area scored the game’s final 13 points to remain unbeaten in the division and shuffle the standings, allowing Tunkhannock to temporarily move into second place and dropping Holy Redeemer into a third-place tie with Hanover Area.
The Warriors came into the game averaging 64.7 points, but were well off the pace at halftime. The Royals shot nearly percent from inside the arc to take a 27-22 lead into the break.
“Their zone really had us mixed up,” Wyoming Area coach Anthony Macario said. “They had a great game plan. That match-up zone they were playing, they really had us out of sorts.
“We were rushing shots, we turned the ball over, we didn’t rebound in the first half.”
The Royals then led by nine in the third quarter before Rusinchak knocked down his 3-pointers to help cut the deficit to 44-42 entering the fourth.
“I think that gave us a lot of energy,” said Rusinchak, who finished with 15 points. “It pumped everything up and got us playing better defense.”
Wyoming Area took a 47-46 lead on another Rusinchak 3-pointer at 6:24 of the final quarter, only to surrender the lead a few seconds later on a 3-pointer by Holy Redeemer’s Jack Wasiakowski.
Wasiakowski’s bucket produced the last Holy Redeemer points before Division 2 scoring leader Luke Kopetchny hit a floater to ignite a 13-0 Wyoming Area run to end the game.
Shane Pepe finished off the game with four consecutive free throws in the final 9.4 seconds, including two for a technical foul.
“We went a little cold shooting the ball,” Redeemer coach Paul Guido said. “We got some good looks that we didn’t put in the hole in those last six minutes. I think their defense kind of ratcheted up, too, sped us up a little bit for those last six minutes.”
Every Warrior contributed to the game-ending run. Drew Keating, who finished with a game-high 12 rebounds, and Pepe grabbed key defensive boards that led to baskets. Bruno Pizzano added a key bucket early in the run off a Kopetchny pass.
Kopetchny finished with 23 points, slightly below his season average of 24.9. Pepe had 10.
Charlie Schaffer was the only Royal in double figures with 11.
“Every time we play Redeemer, it’s a battle,” Rusinchak said. “They give us their best every time. This time we came out on top.”
The teams play again Feb. 3 at Redeemer.
Wyoming Area 69, Wyoming Seminary 46
Luke Kopetchny scored 34 points at Wyoming Seminary Thursday night as Wyoming Area continued to expand its WVC Division 2 lead.
Wyoming Area improved to 7-0 in the division to lead by two full games when Hanover Area defeated Tunkhannock. All three teams chasing the Warriors had two losses already going into Saturday.
The Warriors were 13-1, the best overall record in District 2, going into Saturday afternoon’s scheduled game against Berwick. They remained fourth of 12 teams in the race for district Class 4A playoff berths, trailing in power ratings behind three teams with lesser records – Scranton Prep (9-3), Dallas (13-3), and Valley View (12-2) based on strength of schedule.
Kopetchny hit three 3-pointers and went 5-for-5 from the foul line.
Wyoming Area outscored Wyoming Seminary 22-10 in the second quarter to take a 40-24 halftime lead.
Kopetchny had nine points in the first quarter and 10 in the second before tacking on 12 more as the lead grew to 56-34 during the third quarter.
Drew Keating, Mitchell Rusinchak, and Bruno Pizzano all contributed to the 40-point first half. Keating scored nine of his 13 points, Rusinchak seven of his nine, and Pizzano five of his nine during the half.
R.J. Gernhardt scored 13 points to lead Wyoming Seminary.
After opening the season with seven straight wins, Wyoming Area was back on a six-game winning streak, going into Saturday.
