Pittston Area’s Haley Pointek (14) closes in on a layup for the Patriots against Dallas on Feb. 3 at home.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Patriot Grace Callahan (32) looks to pass to her teammate Daniela Ranieli (2) in action against Dallas Area on Monday evening at home.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Patriot junior Lili Hintze, left, gets around Dallas’ Brianna Casey in first-half action at Pittston Area.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area senior Daniella Ranieli scored 29 points against Dallas Area at home on Monday. She led all scorers on the night.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area finished up a week of accurate free throw shooting as a team by going 12-for-14 from the foul line Saturday afternoon in a 54-32, non-league victory over visiting Tunkhannock to close out the regular season.
The Lady Patriots are 16-6 and awaiting the District 2 Class 5A playoffs where they are just about locked into the second seed behind Crestwood. Pittston Area is expected to open the playoffs at home against seventh-seeded Berwick.
Pittston Area shot 33-for-39 (84.6 percent) on foul shots while winning two of three games during the week.
Unlike the previous two games, when all-state guard Daniella Ranieli accounted for more than 63 percent of the team’s scoring, the Lady Patriots spread things around offensively Saturday.
Ranieli had eight of her 14 points in the first quarter to help the team to a 14-8 lead. She made all five of her free throws in the game.
The Lady Patriots stretched the lead to 29-12 at halftime and 40-18 through three quarters.
Grace Callahan, who was 3-for-3 from the line, and Bella Dessoye, who was 3-for-4, each had nine points.
Maddie Karp added six and nine players scored at least three points.
Pittston Area 53, North Schuylkill 48
Daniella Ranieli held off host North Schuylkill by scoring 19 of her game-high 29 points in the second half of Wednesday’s non-league win.
Lili Hintze had eight of her 13 points in the first quarter to get the Lady Patriots off to a 15-9 start. Maddie Karp added five of her six points in the first quarter.
Hintze made the last of her three 3-pointers in the second quarter to help keep the team in front 29-25 at the half.
Ranieli drained three 3-pointers while scoring 11 points in the third quarter. She finished 8-for-8 from the line and the team was 12-for-14.
North Schuylkill (17-5) had brought a six-game winning streak and had won 11 of its previous 12 heading into its regular-season finale. Jadeline Stitzer scored 19 points and Hannah Kane added 15 for the Class 4A team from District 11.
Dallas 42, Pittston Area 39
Odessa Kanton scored 13 of her 19 points in the first half and Dallas fought off a comeback by host Pittston Area to win Monday’s Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 game.
Pittston Area had a chance to move into a third-place tie with a win.
The final division standings: Hazleton Area 12-0, Crestwood 10-2, Dallas 8-4, Pittston Area 6-6, Wyoming Valley West 4-8, Berwick 1-11, Wilkes-Barre Area 1-11.
Daniella Ranieli scored 29 points in the loss, including 19 in the second half when the Lady Patriots cut into a 22-16 halftime deficit.
Ranieli made four 3-pointers.
