Grace Callahan (32) drives the baseline for the Patriots before hitting the lay up against Wilkes-Barre Area on Monday, Jan. 29.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area junior Daniela Ranieli (2) goes high over Wilkes-Barre Area’s Hannah McAfee (22) for two of her 22-team high points against Wilkes-Barre Area.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The Patriots’ Daniela Ranieli, left, gets fouled by two Wolfpack team members on her way to the hoop.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Lili Hintze (21) looks to get out of a jam against the Wolfpack’s Katie Keating (3).
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Daniella Ranieli drained nine 3-pointers and scored a combined 54 points, but it was not enough as the Pittston Area girls basketball team suffered two more losses.
Pittston Area has dropped three straight to fall to 4-8 in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 and 11-8 overall.
After rising to the top of WVC Division 1 and District 2 Class 5A last season, in part because of their ability to navigate the late stages of close games, the Lady Patriots are 2-5 in games decided by four points or less this season after falling in a pair of three-point games.
Dallas 46, Pittston Area 43
DALLAS TWP. — Four times, Pittston Area had the score at a one-possession game in the final four minutes.
And all four times, Dallas managed to hang on despite an incredible effort from Pittston Area standout Daniella Ranieli.
Ranieli scored a season-high 31 points, but Dallas came up big when needed for a 46-43 Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 victory Thursday night.
“There is no secret with Daniella,” Pittston Area coach Jeff Gregory said of the returning all-state guard. “When she gets it going, she can score in bunches.”
The victory was huge for Dallas (10-2 Div. 1, 15-5 overall) as it remained tied with Crestwood for second place and a game behind first-place Hazleton Area. The top two teams advance to the WVC Championships scheduled for Feb. 13-17.
“They hung in there,” Dallas coach Vince Bucciarelli said. “He does a good job with those girls in Pittston. If you don’t do your homework against Gregory, you’re in trouble. I was just happy how my girls hung in there and we came out with a win.”
Dallas led 39-28 early in the fourth quarter when Ranieli hit a 3-pointer followed by a drive. Pittston Area moved within three points three times and two points once, only for Dallas to handle the situations.
Blocks of 3-pointers by Molly Walsh and Elizabeth Viglone, the latter coming with 31 seconds left, prevented Pittston Area from tying. An offensive rebound by Brianna Casey led to her making two free throws to bump Dallas’ lead to 43-38 with 2:11 left.
Pittston Area had one more crack at tying it after a Casey sank a free throw with 13 seconds left, but Ranieli’s hurried 3-pointer from NBA length just missed the mark.
“There were a couple times in the game they could have packed it in,” said Gregory, whose team lost to Dallas 51-47 in overtime on Jan. 11. “Right down to the end, we got it down to one possession and we just couldn’t catch them. But I thought it was a great effort.”
Pittston Area led once after the game’s opening basket. Dallas looked like it was about to pull away with a 9-3 run to start the third to increase its lead to 32-20 midway through the period. The Mountaineers had to settle for a 37-28 lead entering the fourth as Viglone answered a 3-pointer by Ranieli with one of her own.
Wilkes-Barre Area 32, Pittston Area 29
Pittston Area held visiting Wilkes-Barre Area to one fourth-quarter field goal Monday night before a comeback came up short.
The Wolfpack led 13-7 after one quarter. They scored eight of the first 10 points of the second half for a 25-18 lead.
Daniella Ranieli’s steal and drive for a tough finish on the other end pulled Pittston Area to within 30-29 with 1:49 left.
The Lady Patriots had the ball in the frontcourt coming out of a timeout with 15.1 seconds left. A shot at the lead on a Ranieli drive with eight seconds remaining did not fall.
Wilkes-Barre Area’s Diamond Thornton hit two free throws with 6.6 seconds left for the final points.
Ranieli hit a 3-pointer in every quarter and finished with 22 points. She had all nine of the team’s points in the second quarter to reduce a six-point deficit to one point.
