Pittston Area Patriots are the 2023 PIAA D2 5A champions crowned at the Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday night after defeating Abington Heights Comets.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PIttston Area senior Ava Callahan sinks an outside shot against Abington Heights at Mohegan Sun Arena for the PIAA D2 5A title.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Kallie Booth (3) drives the baseline against the Comets’ Kate Scoblick (20).
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area sophomore guard Daniella Ranieli (2) goes up high over Abington Height’s 6’0” center, Peyton Houlihan to score for the Patriots.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The Patriots’ senior forward Taylor Baiera is all smiles as Pittston Area head coach Jeff Gregory places a gold medal over her head.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Senior Kallie Booth hoists the PIAA D2 5A winner’s placque as Pittston Area defeated the Comets of Abington Heights at the Mohegan Sun Arena Saturday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Kallie Booth was not about to forget her first trip to a championship game at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Not as she was serving with Daniella Ranieli as co-leaders of a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 title repeat and certainly not when the Lady Patriots earned a return trip and the opponent, Abington Heights, was learned.
A similar game developed in this year’s title rematch, but Booth made sure the ending was much different, both personally and for the team she led through the District 2 Class 5A girls basketball tournament.
Booth scored all 12 Pittston Area points in the fourth quarter, completing a double-double as the Lady Patriots made it through another defensive battle to claim the title this time with a 36-32 victory in the March final.
“Kallie was tremendous,” Pittston Area coach Jeff Gregory said. “She didn’t have the greatest night last year.
“I just think she was focused tonight.”
The Lady Comets frustrated Booth and the Lady Patriots down the stretch a year ago, limiting the 2021-22 Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 Most Valuable Player to one field goal and five points in a 38-31 victory.
Not this time.
Booth put together a personal, nine-point streak as Pittston Area was outscoring Abington Heights, 12-5, in the fourth quarter to overcome a three-point deficit.
“That’s the story of a kid who had something to prove here tonight,” Gregory said. “She’s been saying that all along.
“She wasn’t private about it. She had no trouble saying it.”
The proof came in the form of 21 points and 10 rebounds, matching Dunmore’s Sophia Talutto for most in any of this year’s six district or subregional girls championship games.
“I’m not letting this slip away from me again,” Booth said of her attitude in the second half. “I knew we deserved this one.”
Pittston Area improved District 2’s best record to 24-2 overall rallying from eight points down late in the first half.
“The main thing is they got nine points in the second half,” Gregory said. “The defensive end won the game for us.”
Abington Heights committed just two turnovers in the game, the fewest ever at the arena, and none in the second half.
But, the Lady Comets could not score.
Pittston Area held Abington Heights to 1-for-9 (11.1 percent) shooting from 3-point range and 4-for-20 (20.0 percent) overall in the last two quarters and did its usual outstanding job of slowing the pace to protect the lead once in front.
Madison Zalewski was 5-for-6, including 3-for-3 on 3-pointers while leading Abington Heights with 13 points, all in the first 14 minutes. She got off just one shot in the last 18 minutes.
“We weren’t playing that strong defensively in the first half,” Booth said. “We knew exactly what we needed to pick up.”
Booth took care of the other end of the floor in her third straight playoff game of at least 20 points.
Her pull-up jumper in the lane closed the first-half scoring and cut the Abington Heights lead to 23-17 at the break.
Ranieli scored half of her eight points and Ava Callahan hit a 3-pointer as the Lady Patriots pulled within 27-24 in the third quarter without Booth taking a shot.
Abington Heights held Pittston Area scoreless for 3½ minutes to begin the fourth.
The only team to appear in all eight years of finals at the arena was moving closer to its seventh title during that time.
Booth put a stop to that idea.
A 3-pointer from the left corner, after two offensive rebounds extended the Pittston Area possession, made it a two-point game.
As she had done in the first half, Booth hit a 3-pointer and drew a foul after the shot.
The basket, with 3:07 left, not only put Pittston Area ahead, but the foul call set up the game’s most important sequence.
“A lot of people say that I flop sometimes,” Booth said. “ … I’m looking for the call to hopefully get to the line.”
Officials ruled that the foul came after the shot and the Lady Patriots made out better than sending Booth to the line for a potential four-point play.
Booth worked her way into the lane to score and again draw a foul. She missed the free throw, but Taylor Baiera kept the ball in Pittston Area possession with one of her eight rebounds.
When Booth hit one of two free throws, she completed the 9-0 streak to a 33-29 lead with 1:53 left.
Maggie Coleman pulled Abington Heights within a point on a 3-pointer.
Booth then made the front end of a one-and-one with 44.3 seconds left and hit both ends with 22.4 seconds left.
Pittston Area with fouls to give was able to stop the clock with 12.8 and 8.4 seconds left before Abington Heights could attempt a shot.
After starting 1-for-6 overall, Booth finished 4-for-7 on 3-pointers and 6-for-15 overall.
Callahan had three assists in the win.
The Lady Patriots were scheduled to begin state play Saturday.
