EXETER — Pittston Area controlled the pace and protected the ball Saturday afternoon, giving the Patriots just enough to get past host Wyoming Area 42-40 in the Eugene R. DeMinico II Memorial Basketball Game, an annual non-league meeting of the two rivals.
The Patriots led for 26:39 of the game’s 32 minutes, compared to Wyoming Area being in front for 3:16 and the teams being tied for 2:05.
Still, this one was not easy.
Pittston Area held the lead for a span of 20:06 from Jacob Ivey’s steal and breakaway for a 13-11 advantage with 7:12 remaining in the half until Wyoming Area’s Drew Keating came up with a steal and completed a give-and-go with Mitchell Rusinchak for a 34-34 tie with 3:06 to play.
To lock up the win, the Patriots had to overcome 17 second-half points by Luke Kopetchny and a big rebounding advantage by Wyoming Area.
Kopetchny was just 1-for-9, 1:40 into the second half. He went 8-for-10 the rest of the way, including hitting six straight attempts, putting back one of his misses for a score and missing on a late 3-point attempt.
Wyoming Area began the game with a 9-3 rebounding advantage it used to take an 11-5 lead on the scoreboard. Even with Pittston Area grabbing the first five rebounds of the second quarter, the Warriors finished with a 32-20 advantage on the boards.
The Patriots countered the second chances for the Warriors by committing just six turnovers in the game, including only one each in the first and fourth quarters. Wyoming Area lost the ball seven times in the first half and 10 in the game.
Some other statistics:
Lucas LoPresto led Pittston Area with 16 points while Aidan Clarke came off the bench to add 11. Ivey and Wyoming Area’s Mitchell Rusinchak each scored eight points.
Final shooting totals: Pittston Area 11/35, 31.4 percent from floor; 7/20, 35.0 percent on 3s; 7/10, 70.0 percent on free throws. Wyoming Area 17/43, 39.5 from floor; 3/13, 23.1 on 3s; 3/7, 42.9 on free throws.
Clarke was 3-for-5 on 3-point attempts.
Kopetchny had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds. Keating added eight rebounds, and Bruno Pizzano had five. John Jadus led Pittston Area with six.
Keating had four assists and Kopetchny had three. Stephen Barnic had three for Pittston Area.
Jadus and Keating each had two steals and two blocked shots.
