
Pittston Area senior Daniela Ranieli (2) is shown pouring in a team-high 22-points against Hazleton Area on Wednedsay.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
YATESVILLE — Hazleton Area fired up 24 shots in the first quarter Wednesday night, and that meant two things.
First, the Cougars weren’t hitting many. And when that happens, they can’t get into their smothering, fullcourt press.
The situation changed early in the second quarter and so did the complexion of the game as unbeaten Hazleton Area went on to a 78-50 victory over Pittston Area in a meeting of Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 girls basketball contenders.
Hazleton Area (3-0 in the division, 12-0 overall) scored at least 70 points for the seventh time this season as sophomore guard Kaitlyn Bindas netted a season-high 30 points. Alexis Reimold added 17 and Sophia Benyo had 14 to go along with 12 rebounds. Sophia Shults also had 12 boards. No one on Pittston Area (3-2, 11-2) had more than five rebounds.
Yet, after the first quarter Hazleton Area led only 18-12 and needed an 8-0 run to close out the period to take the lead.
“We missed a lot of layups and didn’t get us into (the press),” said Hazleton Area coach Joe Gavio, who returned all five starters from last season’s 24-5 team. “And then they made a couple shots. We’re saying, ‘How many peepers are we going to miss?’ We missed a lot of easy shots and we could have made it easy on ourselves.”
The Cougars made it a lot easier on themselves early in the second quarter. After Benyo made a free throw, they got a turnover off the press that resulted in a 3-pointer by Bindas. Then another turnover and another three by Bindas.
An 8-0 run a bit later, ending with a 3-pointer by Reimold off a turnover, put Hazleton Area in control. The Cougars forced nine turnovers in the second quarter, resulting in many of their 24 points and a 42-24 halftime lead.
“That’s their style,” Pittston Area coach Jeff Gregory said. “It’s always been so you know what you’re getting. I thought we did a good job early trying to stay with the pace, but they create possessions and you have to capitalize when you get numbers. At times we did, at times we didn’t.
“They make the game very chaotic.”
Gavio felt tempo was “too chaotic” at times, perhaps due to a week layoff. Hazleton Area had its Monday game against Berwick on Monday postponed because of weather.
Pittston Area senior guard Daniella Ranieli, a three-time Times Leader All-WVC selection, entered the game averaging 22.9 points. She finished with 22 despite constant harassment from the Hazleton Area defense.
Ranieli made four 3-pointers in the game.
Julia Long and Lili Hintze added seven points each in the loss.
Pittston Area 47, Wyoming Valley West 32
Daniella Ranieli scored 18 points and Lili Hintze’s 3-point shooting carried Pittston Area through the middle quarters Monday in a WVC Division 1 victory.
Ranieli finished 4-for-4 from the foul line. She had eight points in the first quarter when she made her only two 3-pointers of the game to help the Lady Patriots to a 13-12 lead.
Pittston Area outscored Wyoming Valley West 9-2 in the second quarter to take control.
The Lady Spartans held Ranieli to two points in the middle quarters, but Hintze hit one 3-pointer in the second quarter and two more in the third quarter.
Hintze finished with 11 points.
Thalia Irizarry scored 11 points for Wyoming Valley West, which went 3-for-10 from the foul line.