EXETER — Whenever Nanticoke Area looked like it was about to get back into the game Thursday night, one of two things happened.
Either Wyoming Area stopped the Trojanettes from doing so or the Trojanettes stopped themselves.
A combination of Wyoming Area’s strong defense and Nanticoke Area’s poor shooting allowed the Warriors to post a 47-33 victory in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 girls basketball game.
Wyoming Area improved to 2-2 in the division and 7-6 overall. Nanticoke Area, which entered winners of four of its last six games, fell to 3-2 in the division and 5-10 overall.
Jocelyn Williams paced Wyoming Area with 20 points, including four free throws in the final minute that squashed Nanticoke Area’s final comeback attempt. Anna Wisnewski had two key 3-pointers in the third quarter, the second bumping the lead to 10 points.
“Here’s what’s been happening,” Wyoming Area coach Mark Casper said. “Morgan Janeski, she’s been consistently triple-teamed, quadruple-teamed whole games. Those two girls can shoot it. When (the shots) are going in, it’s going to make it that much easier on the inside. Jocelyn hit some big free throws.”
Nanticoke Area had just nine field goals all game, a product of an inaccurate shooting night. The Trojanettes were 2-of-22 from the field in the first half, yet trailed just 17-13 at the break. But a 3-for-12 shooting performance in the third quarter allowed Wyoming Area to get the lead to double digits.
Olivia Rome opened the game with a jumper and Wyoming Area never trailed from that point forward. Nanticoke had eight turnovers in the first quarter. The Trojanettes’ only field goal came midway through the period. Their next came on a 3-pointer by Kate Reed with 2:29 left in the half.
Wyoming Area couldn’t take full advantage of Nanticoke Area’s woes in the first half as the Warriors were plagued with turnover issues in the second quarter. They fixed things in the third period as Wisnewski started and ended an 8-2 run with her 3-pointers.
Nanticoke Area battled back to within 31-25 early in the fourth, but Williams hit a pair of free throws after a Trojanette miss and then added two inside baskets for a 37-25 lead. From there, Nanticoke Area never moved close than nine points.
“We could not knock down any shots consecutively,” Nanticoke Area coach Ed Grant Jr. said. “But credit to (Wyoming Area). They came out and hit some big shots when they needed it. We’d get it to six and they would answer back with some big shots.”
Wyoming Area had a team effort on the boards as Williams and Halle Kranson each had seven rebounds. Krea Bonita had six and Wisnewski grabbed five more.
Reed was the only Nanticoke Area player in double figures with 10 points. Caitlyn Majiros had nine and six rebounds. Clair Aufiero had 12 rebounds and seven points.
Wyoming Area 47, Nanticoke Area 33
NANTICOKE AREA (33) — K.Reed 3 3-4 10. G.Reed 0 0-0 0, Lukowski 1 0-3 2, Majiros 1 7-8 9. Atkins 1 0-0 2, Aufiero 2 3-4 7, Heffron 0 0-0 0, Baron 1 1-3 3. Totals 9 14-22 33.
WYOMING AREA (47) — Slusser 0 0-0 0, Bonita 3 0-0 6, Kranson 1 2-4 4, Rome 1 2-2 4, Williams 6 8-8 20, Janeski 2 2-2 6, Wisnewski 2 1-2 7. Totals 15 15-18 47.
Nanticoke Area`4`9`8`12 — 33
Wyoming Area`9`8`14`16 — 47
Three-point goals — NA 1 (K.Reed).WA 2 (Wisnewski 2).
