Pittston Area Lucas Lopresto dribbles past Abington Heights defender Andrew Kettel (14).
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area senior Silvio Giardina (2) challenges 6’5” Abington Heights sophomore Billy Johnson as he drives to the basket Friday night at Mohegan Arena.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Patriot Matt Walter sets up to put away a 3-point shot in the first half against Abington Heights for the PIAA D2 5A title game Friday night.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area’s Paul Jordan McGarry drains a 3-point shot over Abington Heights’ Robbie Lucas.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Abington Heights rallied from 13 points down, then turned away Pittston Area in the closing seconds Friday night to capture the District 2 Class 5A boys basketball championship 53-48 at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
The Patriots had the ball, down by a single point on their last possession before the Comets added to the final margin by hitting four free throws of an intentional foul and technical foul with 0.3 seconds remaining.
Pittston Area got the ball into the lane with a chance to take a late lead. Silvio Giardina dished to Aiden Lynn under the basket, but as Lynn went up for the potential go-ahead shot, Andrew Kettel swatted it away from behind. Billy Johnson from Abington Heights saved the ball along the end line in the ensuing scramble and flipped it to Jordan Shaffer, who was fouled in the final second.
“If you told me we’d have the ball in Silvio’s hands with six seconds to go, I’ll take my shot,” Patriots coach Al Semenza told the Times Leader. “It just didn’t happen.”
Shaffer, who scored a team-high 16 points, made the last four free throws to finish perfect in seven attempts.
“What a game,” first-year Abington Heights coach J.C. Show said. “It was so much fun. Pittston Area was super tough.”
The Patriots made things tough on the Comets, building a 24-11 lead on Matt Walter’s second 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first half.
Finn Goldberg rallied Abington Heights within two at the break by scoring 12 of his 14 points in the last 3:33 of the half.
Pittston Area held the lead from just under five minutes left in the first quarter until almost two minutes into the fourth when Abington Heights created the game’s third tie.
The Comets never went ahead for the first time until Johnson had an open path to the basket off a Robby Lucas feed and scored on a drive for a 45-44 advantage with 4:05 remaining.
Neither team scored again until Shaffer turned a tip-in into a three-point play with 2:20 left.
Pittston Area pulled back within a point on a Lopresto drive then Walter’s two free throws off an offensive rebound with 19.4 seconds left.
“I thought our kids did a tremendous job,” Semenza said. “I think it went by script. It’s easy to lay out a game plan, but for kids to execute it is tough. Our kids did a great job.”
Pittston Area held Abington Heights scoreless for the last 3:10 of the first quarter, then added three points at the beginning of the second for an eight-point streak to a 17-7 lead. McGarry and Walter made 3-pointers to create the biggest lead.
Lucas Lopresto finished with 13 points for the Patriots. Walter had four assists.
Lucas, a 1,000-point career scorer, finished with 11 points, eight of which came in the last 11:05. He also had seven rebounds and three assists.
