One title defense is all but officially over for the Pittston Area girls basketball team, which helped make sure of its opportunity to defend another by splitting its games this week.
The Lady Patriots are 1-4 in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 after claiming last season’s championship. The one division win came this week and is already enough to have Pittston Area, which is 8-5 overall, close to securing a spot in the District 2 Class 5A playoffs. Last year’s district champions are sixth in the playoff ratings race in Class 5A where eight out of nine teams will make the postseason.
Dallas 51, Pittston Area 47
Dallas struggled from the foul line for more than three quarters, but pulled out an overtime victory with the help of a clutch late-game effort on free throws.
Pittston Area moved in front 47-45 with 11 seconds left when Daniella Ranieli drove to the high post area and sent a pass across the lane to Kaitlin Chernouskas, who made a 10-footer from the left side of the lane to break a tie.
Dallas pushed the ball up the court and missed on its first attempt at the tie. The teams battled for the rebound and the horn sounded, but officials quickly determined that there had been a Pittston Area foul with one second remaining.
Molly Walsh made both shots, one before and one after a Pittston Area timeout, to force overtime.
The Lady Mounts, who were 3-for-13 from the line through three quarters, made all five of their attempts in the fourth quarter and both tries in overtime.
Walsh’s drive, after a teammate’s offensive rebound, with 1:51 left accounted for the only basket of overtime. Briana Casey, who also made two free throws in the fourth quarter, made both her attempts with 23.6 seconds left in overtime to secure the win.
Dallas finished 10-for-20 on free throws while Pittston Area was 1-for-2 with both attempts coming by Ranieli in the first quarter.
Ranieli scored 12 of her game-high 20 points in the first quarter, but Pittston Area still trailed 17-14.
Walsh had 11 of her 18 points in the first half and Dallas led 28-24 at the break. Casey scored 13 points.
Chernouskas made two 3-pointers and scored nine points. She hit one of the 3s and had five points in the third quarter. Ranieli also hit a 3-pointer, forcing a 36-36 tie going into the fourth quarter.
Chernouskas and Lili Hintze each had four points and Ranieli hit the last of her three 3-pointers to help Pittston Area get the game into overtime.
Mia DelGaudio added 10 points for Dallas.
Pittston Area 44, Wilkes-Barre Area 13
Daniella Ranieli finished with 24 points and Pittston Area held host Wilkes-Barre to three second-half points in Monday’s win.
Kaitlin Chernouskas added eight points for the Lady Patriots.
Pittston Area led 17-6 after one quarter and 26-10 at halftime. Following a 16-2 third quarter, the Lady Patriots outscored the Wolfpack 2-1 in a fourth quarter that was played in its entirety with the running clock of the Mercy Rule.
