Pittston Area’s Lili Hintze (21) scores against Berwick in D2 quarterfinals at home.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Julia Long is locked and loaded as she nails a two-point shot against the Berwick Bulldogs on Wednesday night at home. Long finished with a game-high 16-points.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area Head Coach Jeff Gregory looks to congratulate his Lady Patriots late in the game on their way to defeating Berwick 53-31 at home.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Lady Patriot Giuliana Latona (14) eventually gets around Berwick’s Grace Robbins (24) on her way to hitting a lay up for Pittston Area.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
YATESVILLE — Odessa Kanton scored 22 points Saturday afternoon to lead third-seeded Dallas to a 47-36 victory at second-seeded Pittston Area in the District 2 Class 5A girls basketball semifinals.
The 6-foot-3 freshman led Dallas (15-9) into Friday’s 6 p.m. district championship game against top-seeded Crestwood (20-4) at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. Crestwood used a 56-39 victory to eliminate Abington Heights, which had been the only team to appear in the finals for all nine years they had been held at the arena.
Pittston Area finished 17-7.
Kanton went 4-for-6 from the line and was the only Dallas player to score in double figures.
Daniella Ranieli scored 12 points to lead Pittston Area. Maddie Karp added nine.
The Lady Patriots were 0-for-8 from the floor in the first quarter to fall behind 8-2.
Pittston Area cut the deficit to 17-15 at halftime.
Dallas then opened the second half with an 11-2 run, ending with Kanton producing seven straight points.
Karp’s 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer pulled the Lady Patriots back within 31-26.
The Lady Mounts opened the lead again with six straight points in the first 1:48 of the fourth to start what became a 10-2 run.
Pittston Area 53, Berwick 31
Julia Long scored a game-high 16 points Wednesday night to lead host Pittston Area to the victory in the District 2 Class 5A quarterfinals.
Daniella Ranieli added 13 points in the win.
Seven Lady Patriots scored in the second quarter to turn a 9-8 game into a 32-17 lead at halftime.
Bella Dessoye hit a pair of 3-pointers and Giuliana Latona made one during the quarter.
Ranieli had four points, Grace Callahan converted a three-point play and Long also scored three points during the quarter.
Grace Robbins scored 12 points and Abby Calarco 10 for Berwick.
The Lady Bulldogs, the seventh seed in a seven-team field, finished 3-20.
