WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Freshman Zya Small scored 10 of her 15 points and grabbed eight of her nine rebounds in the second half Feb. 29 to lead the way as Scranton defeated Abington Heights 46-34 in the District 2 Class 5A girls basketball championship game.
The loss was the second straight in the district final, but the Lady Comets are still 6-3 at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza as the only team to qualify every year that the championships have been held here.
Maggie O’Shea went 3-for-3 from 3-point range while adding 10 points. Canyah Randle came off the bench to grab seven rebounds and freshman Chrissy Jacklinski finished with seven points, five assists, four steals and two blocks for the top-seeded Lady Knights.
Peyton Houlihan and Maggie Coleman scored 10 points each while also leading the Abington Heights defense. Houlihan blocked three shots. Coleman made five seals.
Houlihan was 4-for-6 from the floor and 2-for-2 at the line.
Abington Heights used a 9-2 run to force a 17-17 midway through the second quarter, the only time the game was tied after 2-2. Houlihan had four points in the run while Coleman hit a 3-pointer and Madison Zalewski contributed a basket and assist.
After the Lady Knights built their biggest lead at 41-26 less than three minutes into the fourth quarter, Abington Heights (18-7) made one last push. Zalewski’s three-point play highlighted an 8-0 run to get within 41-34 with 3:02 to go.
Abington Heights 48, Dallas 46
Abington Heights beat the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 champions, topping the team led by former Lady Comets coach Vince Bucciarelli in the district tournament for the second straight year.
This time, the win came on the road in the semifinals.
Emily McDonald scored 11 of her 19 points in the fourth quarter to lead Abington Heights into overtime where Maggie Coleman hit the game-winner Feb. 23.
Molly Walsh went 11-for-13 from the line while scoring 23 points for Dallas.
The Lady Mountaineers led 18-6 after one quarter.
Abington Heights worked its way back, then Coleman put the team ahead twice in overtime.
Coleman hit the second of two free throws for a 45-44 lead with 1:17 left.
After Walsh’s final basket gave Dallas its final lead, Abington Heights went right back up the court and scored on Coleman’s runner in the lane with 55 seconds left.
Zalewski, who scored 14 points, made one of two free throws with less than a second remaining to close the scoring.
Abington Heights 50, Pittston Area 43
CLARKS SUMMIT – Abington Heights avenged last season’s championship game loss in a Feb. 21 quarterfinal rematch of the last two finals.
Coleman did all the scoring in an 8-0 run during the second quarter to put Abington Heights ahead and McDonald helped keep them there by going 7-for-8 from the line in the final 1:39.
McDonald finished 9-for-10 from the line. She scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and blocked two shots.
Coleman finished with 13 points, three assists and two steals.
All-state guard Daniella Ranieli led Pittston Area with 21 points.
“The plan was to not let their shooters get set because they do have quite a few shooters,” Abington Heights coach Deanna Klingman said. “Ranieli is an excellent player and knew she could shoot it deep.
“ … Defense was the key for us.”
Coleman’s streak, which featured two perimeter and two inside baskets, put Abington Heights ahead 21-16. The Lady Comets then scored nine straight points to open a 32-20 lead on McDonald’s 3-pointer with 5:50 left in the third quarter.
The Lady Comets consistently put the ball in the hands of McDonald, nearly an 88 percent shooter, down the stretch.
“The goal is to get her the ball at the end,” Klingman said.
The Lady Comets also helped themselves by protecting the ball, committing just three turnovers, none in the first or fourth quarters, against one of the WVC’s toughest defensive teams.
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