Pittston Area’s Aiden Lynn (24) attempts to avoid contact with Crestwood’s Cameron Scotti (10) when going for a loose ball.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Crestwood’s Connor Wagaman (4) scored Crestwood’s 10 of 15 first-quarter points against Pittston Area at the Patriots home court on Thursday.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Crestwood’s Ayden Agapito (24) gets charged with goaltending off of the Patriots’ Matt Walter’s (14) layup.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Silvio Giardina led the Patriots’ first half, scoring with seven points against Crestwood.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
YATESVILLE — Crestwood had the situation where it’s most comfortable after one quarter Thursday night against an opponent in an offensive slump.
The Comets were hitting shots, playing tight defense and ahead by six.
Pittston Area reversed roles over the final three quarters.
The Patriots caught Crestwood midway through the third quarter and then held on for a 44-39 win in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 boys basketball opener for both teams.
Pittston Area (1-0 Div. 1, 4-3 overall) entered with a three-game losing streak where it averaged 43.3 points.
“We needed it,” Pittston Area coach Al Semenza said. “It’s early in the year and you hear guys saying this is a game that could turn the season. The wheels were coming off. We’ve had some problems getting things done. I wasn’t happy with our demeanor in a couple games.
“Our guys came to play tonight. Crestwood was on a roll. They are always tough and were playing well coming into this. I think they won four or five in a row against some tough competition.”
So when Crestwood (0-1 Div. 1, 6-3) built a 17-9 lead early in the second quarter behind the shooting of Connor Wagaman, it appeared the game could be slipping from the Patriots’ grasp.
Instead, the Patriots endured and took their first lead, 25-24, when Silvio Giardina scored on a drive at 4:46 of the third quarter. Matt Walter followed with two baskets, the first on a goaltending call after he made a steal and the second on a sharp pass from Giardina.
Giardina capped the 9-0 run with a 3-pointer for a 32-24 lead with 1:41 remaining in the third.
Wagaman netted a couple 3-pointers to end the third, and a free throw by Ayden Agapito to start the fourth moved Crestwood within 32-31. But a 3-pointer by Giardina and a baseline cut by Lucas Lopresto gave Pittston Area some breathing room
A pair of free throws with 4.8 seconds by Paul Jordan McGarry after he won a scramble for a loose ball in Crestwood’s offensive end sealed the win.
Aside from Wagaman, no other Comet found a consistent shooting touch. They finished 6-of-21 behind the arc, with Wagaman canning five of them.
“It just kind of went flat for us,” Crestwood coach Mark Atherton said. “Pittston did a couple good things defensively to kind of take us out of a little bit of a flow. Honestly, I thought we had to take the ball a little bit more to the basket. We started settling too much for jumpers.”
Giardina finished with a team-high 18 points, including 11 in the second half. He made three 3-pointers.
Paul Jordan McGarry also hit three 3-pointers, one in each of the first three quarters. He then made both of his foul shots in the fourth quarter to finish with 11 points.
Valley View 65, Pittston Area 46
Unbeaten Valley View handled host Pittston Area in Tuesday’s non-league game.
The Cougars overcame six 3-pointers and 19 points by Silvio Giardina.
Giardina connected three times from long range in the first quarter to get the Patriots out to a 16-13 lead.
Valley View held Pittston Area to two second-quarter field goals to take a 29-24 halftime lead, then pulled away from there.
Noah Veno scored 16 points for the Cougars and Aiden Smola added 15.
After missing twice, Aiden Lynn made his last six free throws to finish with 12 points for the Patriots.
