Pittston resident Brycen Martin was recognized during a break in the third quarter Friday night after reaching the 1,000-point mark for his Scranton Prep career in an important win at Abington Heights.
Tom Robinson | For Sunday Dispatch
CLARKS SUMMIT — The Scranton Prep boys basketball team turned in a performance worth celebrating Friday night at Abington Heights.
And, by the time the Cavaliers were done dismantling the host Comets, they had two reasons to celebrate.
Pittston resident Brycen Martin reached the 1,000-point career milestone with the 12 points he provided to a 56-27 rout that clinched at least a tie for first place in Lackawanna League Division 1.
Scranton Prep, which also has Brody Martin, Brycen’s younger brother, in its starting lineup, fell to 3-5 on the season when it began the New Year with its only league loss. Since, the Cavaliers have won 11 of 12 games, including their last seven in a row.
Abington Heights, a team that was once 5-7 overall, had experienced a turnaround of its own. The Comets had won all six of their league games since last facing the Cavaliers and began the night with a chance to create a first-place tie in Division 1.
The Comets took a 7-4 lead with 4:20 left in the first quarter, then did not score their next basket until the second half. During that time, the only Abington Heights points were two free throws to begin the second quarter.
Scranton Prep scored the last 22 points of the first half for a 34-9 lead.
“We just played Prep basketball,” Brycen Martin said. “It all started on the defensive end. We did a really, really good job finishing possessions.
“We got out and ran and I think we did a really good job moving the ball.”
The Cavaliers were not done yet.
Martin reached the 1,000-point mark with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to invoke the running clock of the Mercy Rule with 5:52 left in the third quarter.
“It means a lot,” he said. “I want to thank all my coaches, my teammates, my family. I couldn’t have done it without any of them.”
Jack Maloney added another 3-pointer to make it 45-12. In a stretch of 15:10, Scranton Prep had outscored Abington Heights 41-5.
The instant offense of Packy Doherty’s 3-point shooting and the inside presence of Ambrose Rossi led the way.
Doherty scored the first 13 points of the what became a 24-point streak, hitting three straight 3-point shots in a span of 1:58. He added another 3-pointer in the third quarter to finish with 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Rossi blocked seven shots in the first half and finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds.
Brycen Martin was 5-for-10, including 2-for-5 on 3-pointers. He also grabbed four defensive rebounds and dished out a team-high four assists.
Brody Martin had three assists.
During its winning streak, defending champion Scranton Prep (14-6) has moved into position to be the top seed in the District 2 Class 4A playoffs. The Cavaliers have won all eight of their appearances in the nine years the district finals have been conducted at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
