Metro
Luke Kopetchny scored 21 points and joined Lukas Burakiewicz and Mitchell Rusinchak in leading a late-game comeback that allowed Wyoming Area to rally past host Nanticoke 62-59 Tuesday night in a non-league boys basketball game.
The Warriors trailed by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter and were still down seven in the last four minutes. Their last seven points in a game-ending, 9-2 run came at the foul line where they hit their last five attempts.
Kopetchny’s second three-point play in less than two minutes started that run.
Burakiewicz ended a second-half Wyoming Area drought and scored eight of his 14 points in the fourth quarter.
Rusinchak was a big part of the late-game defense that allowed Wyoming Area to limit Nanticoke to four points over the final 3:25 and force five fourth-quarter turnovers while not committing any.
Anthony DeLucca’s 3-pointer gave the Warriors a 36-32 lead with 6:04 left in the third quarter, but then they went cold and the Trojans used their control of the boards to move in front.
Nanticoke scored the next 13 points and grabbed the first six rebounds of the fourth quarter.
The lead grew to 46-38 after three quarters and the Trojans added the first basket of the fourth as the Warriors went 4:27 without scoring and 7:36 without a field before Burakiewicz hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key.
Kopetchny not only gave Wyoming Area its first rebound of the fourth quarter, but he took it the length of the floor, weaving between players in the lane for the three-point play with 3:40 left to cut the deficit to 53-49.
The remaining three Warriors field goals all came from within the paint, including Kopetchny’s next three-point play on a floater down the left side of the lane.
Rusinchak made a steal and got the ball ahead to Burakiewicz, who made the second of two free throws for a 57-57 tie with 1:43 left.
Kopetchny’s steal led to Rusinchak making the second of two to briefly put the Warriors ahead with 1:34 left.
Nanticoke went back in front and had the ball before Rusinchak tipped it away, allowing Burakiewicz to come up with the steal. Burakiewicz then hit the tying and go-ahead free throws with 38.6 seconds left.
Drew Keating, who had two fourth-quarter baskets, controlled a defensive rebound with 11 seconds left and DeLucca added the final points on two free throws with 8.3 remaining.
DeLucca finished with 11 points and Keating had nine. Shane Pepe hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter as part of his five points.
Mathias Mitchell led Nanticoke with 23 points, including 10 as part of the 20-7, third-quarter advantage.
Lakeland 43, Pittston Area 42
Chase Rosenkrans hit a 3-pointer with four seconds left to cap a Lakeland comeback and defeat host Pittston Area Wednesday.
Rosenkrans had nine of his game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter. David Naniewicz scored the other nine Chiefs points in the quarter and finished with 11.
Silvio Giardina led Pittston Area with 16 points.
Giardina had seven in the first quarter when the Patriots built a 17-4 lead. He connected three times from beyond the arc in the second half.
Lucas Lopresto added 12 points, including seven in the fourth quarter when he went 5-for-7 at the line.
Even after being held to two points in the second quarter, the Patriots led 19-14 at halftime. They maintained a five-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
Matt Walter added eight points in the loss.
Holy Cross 61, Pittston Area 42
Holy Cross used a 23-7 fourth quarter to pull away from a close game and hand visiting Pittston Area its first loss in Monday’s non-league game.
Matt Lyons and Michael Hughes combined for 15 of the fourth-quarter points and shared the lead in a balanced attack with 13 points each.
The Crusaders, who played in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 2A state final in March but are a Class 3A team this season, placed four players in double figures while the Patriots had three.
Lucas Lopresto had 13 points for Pittston Area while Silvio Giardina and Matt Walter scored 12 each.
