Giullana Latona attempts a free throw for the Lady Patriots during the PIAA District 2 5A Quarterfinals at Abington Heights.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Sunday Dispatch
Lady Patriots Isabella Dessoye attempts a three-point shot against Abington Heights.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Sunday Dispatch
Leah Drozginski of Pittston Area maneuvers through Lady Comet defenders en route to the net.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area’s Julia Long is fouled during a layup attempt.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Sunday Dispatch
Isabella Dessoye of Pittston Area is contested by Abington Heights Avery Brister during the PIAA District 2 5A quarterfinals.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Sunday Dispatch
CLARKS SUMMIT — Abington Heights solved the stingy Pittston Area defense in the opening quarter Wednesday night, giving the Lady Comets the advantage they needed to remain in front throughout a 39-28, home-court victory in a District 2 Class 5A girls basketball semifinal.
The Lady Comets went 3-for-4 from 3-point range in the first eight minutes, scoring almost half their points while taking a 19-8 lead.
Emma Coleman led Abington with 12 points, 10 rebounds, four steals, and three assists, but the Lady Patriots held her well below her season scoring average. It was 3-pointers by Abby Schneider, Avery Brister, and then Lily Scoblick at the buzzer that created the 11-point deficit.
“We played from behind the whole night, taking it right back to the start of the game,” Pittston Area coach Jeff Gregory said. “Three of them made shots that we just weren’t expecting them to make.
“As a whole defensively, we did what we wanted to do with Coleman. She’s terrific. But, we’re not going anywhere with 26 points.”
Abington Heights scored the first six points of the game and the last eight of the first quarter.
Pittston Area, which allowed just an average of 26 points in a five-game winning streak to end the regular season, held Abington Heights to four points in the second quarter to close within 23-15 at the half.
“I thought defensively we were really good all season, and we were really good tonight,” Gregory said. “The problem tonight certainly wasn’t on the defensive end of the floor.”
The Lady Patriots managed just two points in the fourth quarter.
Lili Hintze hit two 3-pointers while scoring all nine of her points for Pittston Area in the first half, but she battled foul trouble.
Giuliana Latona went 4-for-5 from the floor while adding eight points and five rebounds.
Julia Long grabbed eight rebounds.
Scoblick contributed nine points, two steals, and two assists for Abington Heights, which kept the lead between six and 15 for the last three quarters.
Pittston Area, the fifth seed, finished its season 13-10.
Honesdale 62, Wyoming Area 31
Olivia Reed and Ruby Martin each scored 16 points to lead host Honesdale past Wyoming Area on Wednesday in a Class 4A quarterfinal.
Lily Murray added 14 points for the fourth-seeded Lady Hornets.
Fifth-seeded Wyoming Area finished its season with an 8-15 record.
Jailyn Park led the Lady Warriors with 16 points. Londyn Sobeck scored eight points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Reed and Martin each scored 12 points in the first half to help Honesdale to leads of 13-7 after one quarter and 35-13 at the break. Murray scored 12 in the second half.
Park scored seven points in the third quarter when the Lady Warriors outscored the Lady Hornets 15-12, but her 3-pointer was the only scoring the team managed in the fourth quarter.
Mountain View 55, Old Forge 31
Three-time, first-team, all-stater Addison Kilmer scored 25 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots Tuesday while leading second-seeded Mountain View to a home-court victory over second-seeded Old Forge in a Class 2A quarterfinal.
The Lady Eagles, who have been to at least the state semifinals each of the past three years, also got 17 points and six assists from Aubrey Sanders.
Lackawanna League Division 3 champion Mountain View was too much for Old Forge.
Kilmer, a career 2,000-point scorer, had nine points in the first as the Lady Eagles took a 15-7 lead.
Sanders had 14 by halftime, including eight in the second quarter to help increase the lead to 32-13.
Kilmer scored 10 more in the third quarter when Mountain View ran away for a 49-15 lead.
Old Forge cut into the final deficit under the Mercy Rule in the fourth quarter when Liliana Lenceski scored seven of her nine points.
The Lady Devils finished 7-16 overall. They were 2-12 and tied for the last spot in Lackawanna Division 2.
