Pittston Area’s Kallie Booth hits a jump shot against Wilkes-Barre Area at home on Monday night. Booth ended up with 23 points on the night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The Patriots’ Taylor Baiera scores two points just as the first quarter ended against Wilkes-Barre Area on Monday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area freshman Daniella Ranieli scores on a fastbreak in second half action against the Wilkes-Barre Area on Monday night. Ranieli poured in 17 points on the night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Amanda Fath (22) scores two points to pull the Patriots ahead of Wilkes-Barre 41-39 with 47 seconds left in regulation play.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Gloria Adjayi of Wilkes-Barre Area goes high over Amanda Fath (22) for Pittston Area to score two of her game high 24 points on Monday night at Pittston Area.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
YATESVILLE — The last time things went sour against Wilkes-Barre Area, Pittston Area lost focus. The result was the Patriots’ worst offensive game of the season.
The rematch on Monday night went differently. Pittston Area was able to overcome adversity early and late to defeat the Wolfpack 48-41 in overtime to earn at least a first-place tie in Division 1 of the Wyoming Valley Conference girls basketball.
Junior guard Kallie Booth scored a team-high 23 points, including five in overtime, to lead Pittston Area. Freshman guard Daniella Ranieli had 17 and a pair of free throws in the extra period where the Patriots outscored the Wolfpack 7-0.
In a 41-22 loss to WBA on Jan. 28, the duo combined for just 12 points.
“We came together,” Booth said. “We didn’t lose our heads, we didn’t lose our minds like the first time we played them. We didn’t play scared like the first time we played them. We just all came together as one.”
Pittston Area (12-2 Div. 1, 20-2 overall) will have to wait to see if another game is necessary with WBA (11-2 Div 1, 17-3). The Wolfpack finish their divisional season Tuesday against Crestwood, a team they defeated 45-40 last week.
If Pittston Area and WBA finish tied, then they will play Wednesday for the Division 1 title. The game is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Wyoming Area.
The Patriots were in trouble early as WBA’s Gloria Adjayi led the Wolfpack to a 12-2 lead with less than two minutes left in the first quarter. They chipped the deficit to 12-9 in those final two minutes.
“We were in trouble,” Pittston Area coach Jeff Gregory said. “I don’t know what it was, 10-2, 12-2, but we kind of grinded through it, made a couple plays and hung around. I said to them stay in striking distance and we’ll have our run.”
Consecutive 3-pointers by Booth and Ranieli in the final minutes of the second quarter gave Pittston Area a 21-19 lead. The Patriots never trailed from that point, although WBA tied the score twice in the fourth quarter.
A pair of free throws by Adjayi knotted the game 41-41 with 28.3 seconds left in regulation. Pittston Area then turned over the ball with seven seconds left, but the Wolfpack missed a shot at the buzzer.
Overtime was all Pittston Area as Booth opened the extra four minutes with a 3-pointer.
“It was the biggest adrenaline rush,” Booth said. “I was like, ‘Guys, let’s go. We need to play defense, we need to get back. We’re winning this game no matter what.’”
WBA then turned over the ball twice on consecutive possessions before Booth and Ranieli each hit two free throws down the stretch.
Adjayi had 24 for WBA, tying her season high. She had six in the first meeting, but unlike that game Pittston Area never let another Wolfpack player cause issues.
Pittston Area 48, Wilkes-Barre Area 41 OT
WBA (41) — Natalia Credle 0 0-0 0, Danayjha Moore 4 0-0 9, Reagan Holden 2 1-2 6, Eternity Aiken 0 0-0 0, Diamond Thorton 0 0-0 0, Shelby Ardo Boyko 1 0-0 2, Gloria Adjayi 10 2-3 24. Totals 17 3-5 41.
PITTSTON AREA (48) — Daniella Ranieli 6 2-2 17. Kallie Booth 8 4-4 23, Ava Callahan 0 0-0 0, Leah Zambetti 0 2-2 2, Taylor Baiera 1 0-2 2, Amanda Fath 2 0-0 4, Ava Butcher 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 8-10 48.
Wilkes-Barre Area`12`8`8`13`0 — 41
Pittston Area`9`14`10`8`7 — 48
Three-point goals — WBA 4 (Moore, Holden, Adjayi 2). PA 6 (Ranieli 3, Booth 3).
