District 2 boys basketball will reach the New Year with just one unbeaten boys basketball team, thanks to an upset by Pittston Area Wednesday night in the first round of the 53rd annual McGrane Tournament.
The Patriots piled up 41 first-half points on the way to knocking off previously unbeaten Holy Redeemer, 68-54, at the Wyoming Valley Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre.
Pouring in 3-pointers and beating the Royals on cuts to the basket, the Patriots opened leads of 21-11 after one quarter and 41-24 at halftime.
Mike George had four of Pittston Area’s eight 3-pointers while scoring a game-high 21 points.
The Patriots hit five of their 3s in the first quarter when Brennan Higgins and Andrew Krawczyk made two each.
George made two in the second quarter and hit his last one in the third.
The Patriots carried an 18-point lead into the fourth, then shot 11-for-14 from the line in the final eight minutes.
Higgins was 6-for-6 at the line in the fourth to finish with 20 points.
Logan Booth added 12 points and Krawczyk 10 in the win.
Nick Prociak, a Pittston Area School District resident, had 11 points, including nine in the first half for Holy Redeemer.
The Royals were led by Collin Cook with 16 points.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Crestwood 74, Pittston Area 45
The Patriots had to settle for second place in the McGrane Tournament after Crestwood dominated throughout Friday’s championship game.
Pittston Area is 1-1 in the Wyoming Valley Conference and 5-3 overall. It currently rates third in the 10-team race for eight spots in the District 2 Class 5A playoffs.
Brennan Higgins had 12 points and earned the tournament’s Sportsmanship Award. Mike George added 10 points and made the all-tournament team.
Lake-Lehman 54, Wyoming Area 36
Max Paczewski scored 16 points to lead Lake-Lehman to the non-league, road win Thursday.
The Warriors were led by Dan Wiedl with 11 points. Wiedl was 9-for-10 from the line.
Wyoming Area went into the fourth quarter already trailing 41-30, then managed just one more field goal.
Wyoming Area 54, Wyoming Valley West 49
Wyoming Area overcame a 20-point effort by Roland Hamad Dec. 22 to post its first win of the WVC season.
The Warriors are 1-1 in the WVC and 2-4 overall. They are ninth out of 10 teams pursuing eight District 2 Class 4A playoff berths.
Nanticoke 70, Pittston Area 53
Defending Division 2 champion Nanticoke, the last surviving unbeaten, handled visiting Pittston Area in the Dec. 22 WVC crossover game.
Trahjan Krupinski scored 20 points and Nate Kreitzer added 19 for Nanticoke.
Logan Booth had 11 points while Matt Johnson and Mike George had 10 each for the Patriots.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Wyoming Area 53, Hanover Area 43
Aleah Kranson helped Wyoming Area control the middle two quarters Friday night on the way to a non-league win at home.
Kranson had nine points each in the second and third quarters when the Lady Warriors turned a 16-9 deficit into a 42-28 lead.
After Wyoming Area held Hanover Area to three points in the second quarter, Nicole Silinskie scored six of her nine during a 19-9 third quarter.
The Lady Warriors, who are 0-2 in the WVC, are 2-4 and last in the 12-team race for eight berths in the District 2 Class 4A playoffs.
Wyoming Valley West 42, Wyoming Area 39
Cassidy Orzel had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists, but Wyoming Area fell short in the Dec. 22 WVC crossover game at Wyoming Valley West.
Nicole Silinskie had 12 points and 3 steals. Aleah Kranson added 10 points.
Wyoming Area led, 30-28, going into the fourth quarter.
WRESTLING
Tunkhannock Kiwanis Tournament
Pittston Area was 18th with 40 points, a half point ahead of 19th-place Wyoming Area through the end of Friday’s action in the two-day event.
There are 25 teams entered.
Robin Wrobleski and Jaryn Polit-Moran each made the semifinals for the Warriors.
Wrobleski defeated Western Wayne’s Kasen Taylor, 10-7, in Friday’s 160-pound quarterfinals.
Polit-Moran made the semifinals by pinning Nick Marabell with 13 seconds left in their quarterfinal at 195.
Valley View 39, Wyoming Area 28
Injuries continued to mount at Wyoming Area, which forfeited four weight classes and had two other “no contests” in a 39-28, non-league loss to visiting Valley View Dec. 21.
Kyle Emsley (120) and Robin Wrobleski (160) won by pin. Connor Wrobleski (145) added a major decision.
There were just six bouts wrestled.
