Wyoming Area and Pittston Area appear to be headed for interesting rematches when the District 2 girls basketball playoffs open with quarterfinal games this week.
Based on playoff power ratings posted on the District 2 website Friday, following the completion of regular-season play for most teams, Wyoming Area projects for a quarterfinal matchup with Dallas in Class 4A Tuesday before Pittston Area projects to play North Pocono in Class 5A Wednesday.
Whether the pairings hold up will be determined Sunday morning. There were three games remaining for other teams that could impact the standings and resulting matchups in the various district tournaments because of the way opponents’ records are interrelated with each team’s rating.
Wyoming Area beat Dallas earlier this season and in the same round of last season’s District 2 playoffs. This year’s game allowed Wyoming Area coach Chad Lojewski to even his career record at 2-2 in games played against his daughter Sara, a senior at Dallas. Last year’s playoff game featured Sarah Holweg’s school-record 44-point effort.
North Pocono handed Pittston Area its first loss this season. The Lady Patriots were 3-0 and up 14 points on the road in the second half of their December game before Chloe Pehanick scored 14 of her 23 points in the final 12 ½ minutes to lead the Lady Trojans back.
Pittston Area’s lineup has changed since. Alexa Noone missed the game with an illness, Andrea Ruby left with an injury with the team holding its biggest lead and freshman center Leah Hodick was not yet a starter.
District 2 officials are expected to declare all ratings in their first-year system official as of 9 a.m. Sunday. Brackets, with pairings, game sites and starting times will be released later in the morning.
Going into Friday night, Wyoming Area and Pittston Area were each headed for fourth seeds, going against fifth seeds in the eight-team tournaments.
Because Pittston Area would be the higher seed, the potential game is likely to be played at a Wyoming Valley Conference site, or at least one closer to Pittston Area than North Pocono.
Wyoming Area and Pittston Area each finished the regular season 13-9. North Pocono went 15-7 and won the Lackawanna League Division 2 title. Dallas is 11-11, but was the only Class 4A team playing in Division 1 of the Wyoming Valley Conference where it played 10 games against larger schools.
Nanticoke 69
Wyoming Area 51
Nanticoke held visiting Wyoming Area to three second-quarter points Wednesday while opening a 34-13 halftime lead on the way to completing a 21-1 regular season that earned the Trojanettes a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 title game against Holy Redeemer.
Both division leaders went 15-1 in the WVC.
Riley Klepadlo, Alyssa Lewis and Kayla Auriero had 15 points each for Nanticoke.
Katie Wolfgang scored 17 points to lead Wyoming Area. Sarah Holweg added 13 and Lydia Edwards had 11.
The Lady Warriors went 9-7 in the WVC to finish fourth of six teams in Division 2.
Wyoming Valley West 62
Pittston Area 42
Erin Gibbons scored 19 points, including the 1,000th of her career, Wednesday to help Division 1 champion Wyoming Valley West avenge one of its two conference losses.
Alexa Noone scored 16 points and Taryn Ashby added 15 for host Pittston Area.
The Lady Patriots finished 8-8 in the WVC to place fourth out of six teams in Division 1.
Holy Redeemer 59
Wyoming Area 56
Holy Redeemer used a balanced attack and just enough fourth-quarter foul shooting to turn back a Wyoming Area roundup in Monday’s WVC Division 2 home-court victory.
The Royals held on to a share of first place by getting between nine and 12 points from five different players. After going 1-for-7 from the line in the first three quarters, they went 5-for-10 in the fourth.
Cassidy Orzel, who came off the bench, and Addison Orzel scored 16 points each for Wyoming Area. Katie Wolfgang added 10 points.
Hazleton Area 72
Pittston Area 69
Maddie Mrochko scored 27 points to lead Hazleton Area to a come-from-behind WVC Division 1 victory over visiting Pittston Area.
The Lady Patriots led, 42-39, at halftime.
Alexa Noone scored 25 points to lead Pittston Area. Kirsten Durling added 18 and Taryn Ashby 15.
