Maddie Karp keyed a big second quarter and Daniella Ranieli led Pittston Area down the stretch Wednesday night when the Lady Patriots rallied past visiting Wyoming Valley West 43-40 in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 girls basketball game.
Karp and Ranieli each finished with 17 points.
With their second win in three days, after enduring a 3-5 stretch in the previous eight games, Pittston Area improved to 3-4 in the division to tie Wyoming Valley West and Wilkes-Barre Area for fourth place out of eight teams. The Lady Patriots are 10-5 overall and sixth out of nine teams chasing eight District 2 Class 3A playoff berths.
Karp had seven points, including a 3-pointer, during a 12-5 second quarter that moved Pittston Area in front 23-17 at halftime.
Wyoming Valley West rallied to within two points in the third quarter, setting up a fourth quarter that included six lead changes.
Gabby Marsola twice put the Lady Spartans ahead with 3-pointers, but the Lady Patriots answered in less than 20 seconds each time.
First, Ranieli went right back down the floor and drove baseline for a three-point play. Then, Karp got a layup off a back cut and a pass from Grace Callahan.
Gabbi Novitski gave Wyoming Valley West its final lead – and its final points – with 2:58 remaining.
Karp scored in the lane off a post move for a 41-40 lead a minute later.
Callahan and Ranieli each hit the second of two free throws, connecting with 28.9 and 15.1 seconds left for the final points.
Wyoming Valley West got a 3-point attempt from each of its top three scorers during the final eight seconds, but was unable to force overtime.
Ranieli had five points each in the first and third quarters, then six in the fourth.
Lili Hintze hit a second-quarter 3-pointer while scoring five of her seven points in the first half.
Thalia Irizzary led Wyoming Valley West with 10 points while Mackenzie Perluke and Gabby Marsola added nine each.
Marsola hit three second-half 3-pointers, but Pittston Area held Irizzary and Perluke to two points each after intermission and nothing in the fourth quarter.
Pittston Area 48, Tunkhannock 20
Daniella Ranieli providing half of the scoring, producing 24 points in the Monday road win.
Ranieli and Lili Hintze, who finished with 11 points, each hit three 3-pointers.
The Lady Patriots were in control from the start, leading 13-7 after one quarter, 27-9 at halftime and 45-15 to put the game into the Mercy Rule after three quarters.