Pittston Area senior Daniela Ranieli pours in two of her 19 game-high points garnering the game MVP of the Tigue/Denisco game with the cross-town rivals Wyoming Area.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Patriot Maddie Karp drives the lane against Warrior Abby Sterba in action on Thursday evening.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Wyoming Area’s Abby Sterba (12) drives the lane for two points on her way to picking up the Warriors’ MVP of the Tigue/Denisco game.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area was the victor over Wyoming Area in the Tigue/Denisco Battle of the Hoops game at the Warriors’ gym. From left: Tom Tigue Jr.; Cara Joyce and her daughter, Emma; Grace Callahan; Carlena Lizza; Daniela Ranieli, the game’s MVP; Haley Pointek; Nora Callahan; Maddie Karp; and Anthony Capozucca.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Abby Sternba was the MVP for Wyoming Area.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
EXETER – Daniella Ranieli scored 11 of her game-high 19 points in the second half and Julia Long came off the bench to hit her last three shots in a 10-point effort Thursday night as Pittston Area pulled away from host Wyoming Area 55-27 in the ninth annual Tigue-Denisco Cup Game.
Ranieli’s two 3-pointers accounted for the only six points in the first five-plus minutes of the second half. The Lady Patriots more than doubled their halftime lead when they scored eight straight points while holding the Lady Warriors scoreless for 5:34 and without a field goal for 6:15 to begin the third quarter.
“I think they defended us well and made us rush into our offense,” Ranieli said of the first half, which ended with the Lady Patriots in front 25-18. “We didn’t have any patience.
“I think in the second half, we settled down more, ran our offense and let it come to us.”
Ranieli repeated as Thomas Tigue Award winner as Pittston Area’s Most Valuable Player in the game. She followed up last season’s 20-point effort by making more than half her shots from the floor and from 3-point range and making all of her free throws to finish with 19 points. Ranieli also tied for the team lead in assists, with three, and steals, with two.
Abby Sterba received the Tony Denisco Award as Wyoming Area’s MVP. She had a team-high eight points, along with four rebounds and two steals.
“She’s a sophomore, who is still learning the game, but she works hard,” Wyoming Area coach Mark Casper said. “She worked hard all summer on the physical side. … She’s going to be a player.”
Long finished 5-for-7 from the floor while adding 10 points.
“Julia gives us great energy,” Pittston Area coach Jeff Gregory said. “She kind of gave us a nice spurt there at the end to help put the game away.”
Long scored the last four points of a 12-3 third quarter, setting up inside once and cutting through the lane another time, on passes from Guiliana Latona, for a 37-21 lead. She scored again during a 9-0 run in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Freshman Jailynn Park scored six of her seven points in the first half for Pittston Area. She had a four-point play, making a shot from the corner while being fouled, to give the Lady Warriors their first points and only lead at 4-2.
Pittston Area moved ahead for good with the next nine points, capped by a Maddie Karp 3-pointer.
From there, Wyoming Area played the last 11 minutes of the half on even terms with Pittston Area. The Lady Warriors got as close as 18-16 with the first six points of the second quarter.
Latona scored five straight points and Ranieli hit an 18-footer for a seven-point Pittston Area streak, but Park’s two free throws made it 25-18 at halftime.
After Ranieli and Long built the 16-point lead going into the fourth, Wyoming Area made one last push.
Park’s steal and free throw was followed by Sterba’s 3-pointer to make it 37-25 with 6:40 left.
Pittston Area scored 18 of the game’s final 20 points with seven players figuring into the scoring.
