SCRANTON – Valley View took a lead to end the first quarter, then built it early in the second to break away from Wyoming Area and end the Warriors’ season Wednesday night with a 73-50 victory in a District 2 Class 4A boys basketball quarterfinal at Scranton High School.
Zack Kovalchik scored the last seven points of a 16-2 run that put the second-seeded Cougars in control.
Cole Coolbaugh and Sammy Solomon, who each finished with 13 points, got Wyoming Area off to a strong start.
Coolbaugh had five points in the first quarter, including a 3-pointer for a 7-3 lead just 2:25 into the game.
Solomon, who finished with six rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots, gave the Warriors the last lead. He used a power move on the inside for a 9-7 advantage with 3:05 left in the first quarter.
The Warriors, however, were not able to sustain their early effort.
Valley View scored six of the last eight points in the first quarter to take the lead, then ran off the first 10 points of the second quarter.
Kovalchik finished with 23, five assists and three steals.
Adam Howanitz added 20 points and a game-high nine rebounds while helping Valley View dominate on the boards, 40-24.
“We could have had a lead at the end of the first quarter,” Wyoming Area coach Anthony Macario said, “but they beat us up on the glass.”
The Cougars had a 15-5 rebounding advantage in the first quarter and needed it. Howanitz twice converted offensive rebounds into points, including the basket with 30 seconds left that put the Cougars ahead to stay, 13-11.
Valley View led 37-25 at the half before outscoring Wyoming Area 21-9 in the third quarter.
“I thought overall in the first half, we played well,” Macario said. “Then, in the third quarter, the game got away from us a little bit.”
Wyoming Area finished its second season under Macario at 7-16 after going 2-20 in his debut.
“In spite of a lot of losses, including tonight, as a team, we upped our win total by five, from two to seven,” Macario said. “We progressed from not qualifying for the district tournament to earning a seventh seed.
“Of the games that we lost this year, there were six or seven of them that were by fewer than 10 points where we led in the second half, led in the fourth quarter. We still have to learn as a team how to close games out and how to play better in those tight situations.
“The big thing we’re trying to stress and we’re trying to keep the guys engaged on is the attention to detail; how much the little things matter.”
The Warriors graduate Coolbaugh, Solomon and key reserve F.J. Braccini, but return the rest of the team.
“We have a lot of underclassmen and a really strong senior class coming up for next year,” Macario said.
