Holy Redeemer’s George Sabatini shoots over Wyoming Area’s Dane Shutter in first half of Monday’s WVC Division 2 championship game.
                                 Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Holy Redeemer’s George Sabatini shoots over Wyoming Area’s Dane Shutter in first half of Monday’s WVC Division 2 championship game.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

<p>Holy Redeemer’s Mark Atherton breaks away from the pack to score two of his seven first-half points against Wyoming Area.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

Holy Redeemer’s Mark Atherton breaks away from the pack to score two of his seven first-half points against Wyoming Area.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

<p>Holy Redeemer’s George Sabatini (4) blocks a shot by Wyoming Area’s Tyler Sciandra.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

Holy Redeemer’s George Sabatini (4) blocks a shot by Wyoming Area’s Tyler Sciandra.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

<p>Wyoming Area’s Dane Schutter scored 16 of the Warriors’ 27 points against Holy Redeemer in the first half.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

Wyoming Area’s Dane Schutter scored 16 of the Warriors’ 27 points against Holy Redeemer in the first half.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

<p>Wyoming Area’s Brady Noone scores on a layup against Holy Redeemer.</p>
                                 <p>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader</p>

Wyoming Area’s Brady Noone scores on a layup against Holy Redeemer.

Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

PLAINS TWP. — Defending champions often don’t fall easily no matter what their composition.

Down 11 early in the second quarter and not looking all that good, Holy Redeemer climbed back into the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 boys basketball championship against Wyoming Area.

Then with a late second-quarter burst the Royals overtook Wyoming Area and held on for a 58-48 victory Monday night at Wilkes-Barre Area High School.

The outcome set up the WVC Tournament semifinal pairings for Thursday at Wilkes-Barre Area. Redeemer (12-1 Div. 2, 16-7 overall) will play Division 1 runner-up Dallas (11-3 Div. 1, 16-6) at 6 p.m. Division 2 runner-up Wyoming Area (11-2 Div. 2, 16-7) will play Division 1 champion Wilkes-Barre Area (13-1 Div. 1, 18-4) at 7:30 p.m.

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Redeemer won its third consecutive Division 2 crown despite having a completely new starting lineup.

George Sabatini paced Redeemer with a game-high 23 points to go along with nine rebounds. Mark Atherton had 15, including five from the foul line in the final minute as Redeemer dashed any comeback hopes. David Popson, who transferred from Hanover Area, had 13 and helped reverse a 21-10 deficit in the second quarter into a 30-27 lead at halftime.

“That was a big point in the game for us,” Redeemer coach Paul Guido said. “They got up by 10 or 12 or 14 — whatever it was — in the second quarter. But at halftime, we had the lead and that was big for us.

“If we came into the locker room down 10 or 12 and carried that with us, that could have been something different. That could have been a different animal.”

Atherton started a 12-0 run to close the first half with a 3-pointer. Sabatini finished it by flying in for a rebound dunk, one of three he had in the game.

“I wasn’t worried,” Sabatini said of the deficit. “If more than anything, it gave us a fire to do what we needed to do. It fired us up to get the job done.”

After Dane Schutter’s inside basket gave Wyoming Area a 27-18 lead with 3:25 until halftime, the Warriors suddenly went cold from the field. They went nearly eight minutes without a field goal until Brady Noone’s short jumper moved them within 33-32 midway through the third quarter.

Wyoming Area regained the lead 36-35 about a minute later on a pump fake inside by Schutter. The shooting woes, though, resurfaced. The Warriors were getting quality shots, only to see them go in and out or roll off the rim.

“We got great looks they just didn’t go in,” Wyoming Area coach Anthony Macario said. “Unfortunately, that seemed to be what cost us. Defensively in the second quarter we gave up way too many points. We had a really good first quarter. The second quarter we gave up 22. That certainly didn’t help our case.”

A 3-pointer by Brayden Sock gave Redeemer the lead for good, 38-36 with 2:44 left in the third quarter.

A layup by Luke Kopetchny off a steal by Anthony DeLucca to start the fourth brought Wyoming Area within 40-38. The Warriors, though, went nearly four minutes without scoring. That offensive lull along with Atherton’s free-throw shooting allowed Redeemer to keep it a three-possession game most of the final minutes.

WVC Division 2 Championship

Holy Redeemer 58, Wyoming Area 48

WYOMING AREA (48) — Tyler Sciandra 2 4-5 8, Anthony DeLucca 1 2-4 5, Brady Noone 3 2-2 8, Matt Rusinchak 1 0-0 3, Dane Schutter 8 5-5 22, Luke Kopetchny 1 0-0 2, Trevor Kruszka 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 13-16 48.

HOLY REDEEMER (58) — Cody Quaglia 0 0-0 0, Mark Atherton 3 8-10 15, George Sabatini 9 5-8 23, Brayden Sock 2 2-2 7, David Popson 6 0-2 13, Logan Sekal 0 0-0 0, Jack Hurst 0 0-0 0, Mike Dubaskas 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 15-22 58.

Wyoming Area`13`14`9`12 — 48

Holy Redeemer`8`22`10`18 — 58

Three-point goals — WA 3 (DeLucca, Rusinchak, Schutter). HR 3 (Atherton, Sock, Popson).