Welcome back to the LLHoops Northeast Beat.

So, What Have We Learned (Part 2)?

With Mother Nature erasing the entire Tuesday lineup, it was a perfect opportunity to review what’s been happening across the district so far.  Tonight we take a glance back at the Girls’ game recaps and highlights.             

Wyoming Valley Conference

DIVISION 1 TEAMS

One thing quickly jumps out when you look at the results so far among Division 1 teams – there is going to be a lot of balance in the new alignment even though Hazleton Area is probably considered to be the top contender.  The Lady Cougars (3-1) have veteran leadership plus plenty of size, shooting ability, and athleticism.    They captured their Tip Off event with wins over Williamsport (51-36) and Lake-Lehman (56-31).  They then took on a pair of District 3 teams, dropping a close 48-43 game to Governor Mifflin before rolling over Wilson (65-17).  Junior Brooke Boretski runs the point efficiently and is joined by junior guard Olivia Wolk who has been averaging 13.8 ppg.  Joe Gavio (now entering his 25th season) has three versatile playmakers in Marissa Trivelpiece (6-0 senior, 10 ppg), Faith Grula (6-0 senior, 11 ppg), and Kyra Antolick (5-9 senior forward).  So far, the only remaining undefeated team in the division is Wilkes-Barre Area (3-0).  The Wolfpack has been getting strong efforts from a pair of former rivals, senior playmaker Allycia Harris (16.7 ppg) and sophomore forward Gloria Adjayi (13.3 ppg).  WBA has defeated Wyoming Seminary (49-31), Scranton (44-31), and Tunkhannock (56-42).  Dallas (3-1) defeated West Scranton (46-39) and Wyoming Valley West (39-30) to take the Mike Duda Memorial Tourney title.  The Lady Mounts then dropped a 50-35 loss to a very good Old Forge squad before rolling over Lackawanna Trail Monday night.  Lauren Charlton (5-11 senior forward) is their team leader who has persevered through several career injuries.  She hit 18 points in their win over WVW.  They also feature seniors Haley Habrack and Morgan MacNeely.  Dallas also has a trio of talented juniors in Julia Kocher, Claire Charlton, and Deanna Wallace.  Nanticoke Area (3-1) has won three games following their season-opening loss to North Schuylkill (71-60).  The Trojanettes defeated North Pocono (58-54 in OT), Susquehanna Community (56-22), and Lake-Lehman (56-49) Monday night.  Sophomore Riley Baird has been sensational, hitting 21 ppg.  She is joined by senior guard Emily Hauer (9.8 ppg) and 5-10 junior forward Lauren Casey (who netted 21 points in their overtime win over North Pocono).  Pittston Area (3-1) dropped their first game on the season Monday night to one of the top teams in the Lackawanna League, Abington Heights, 36-22.  The Lady Patriots started off with wins over Hanover Area (47-20), Forest City (49-9), and North Pocono (56-36).  They return a core group of seniors including guards Lily Savoy, Jada Sharp, and Nicole Zambetti along with forwards Emma Cole and Hannah Getz.  The Pats also have freshman Kallie Booth who connected on 14 points in their win over NP.  Berwick (2-2) sandwiched wins over Selinsgrove (37-31) and Western Wayne (39-29) around losses to a pair of powerhouse programs, Scranton Prep (49-22) and Dallastown East (45-21).  The Lady Bulldogs feature talented junior guard Katie Starr (14.5 ppg) who hit 26 points in their win over Western Wayne.  Wyoming Valley West (2-3) has played a very challenging schedule so far getting wins over Honesdale (60-48) and Scranton (60-28) and dropping losses to Dallas (39-30), Valley View (51-31), and Scranton Prep (61-30) Monday night.  The Lady Spartans are led by senior guard Toni Amato (15.8 ppg) and versatile 6-1 sophomore center Trinity Johnson (10.8 ppg).  Crestwood (0-2) has a young lineup and is looking to get their program going in the right direction.  The Lady Comets lost to powerhouse Dunmore (66-17) and Williamsport (59-51).  They are led by 5-8 junior forward Helena Jardine (15 ppg). 

DIVISION 2 TEAMS

Holy Redeemer (1-2) opened up their season with a 75-67 loss to Holy Cross (Lady Royals led 53-51 heading into the final stanza) and then split a pair of games at the She Got Game Classic in DC, defeating Monsignor Clancy (58-30) and then losing to St. Johns Prep, NY (61-52).  Samantha Yencha (5-11 senior forward) has been superb, hitting 24 ppg.  The Lady Royals have plenty of young talent, including a trio of sophomores (Aubrey Curley, Aleia Atherton, and Faith Sokol) plus junior guard Karissa Spade.  Wyoming Seminary (2-1) dropped their opening game to Wilkes-Barre Area (49-31) before getting a pair of victories over Mid Valley (46-24) and Weatherly (56-21).  So far, the Blue Knights have been powered by senior guards Ally Vezendy (17.3 ppg) and Alex Wesneski (10.3 ppg) plus sophomore guard Margaret Mihalick (6.3 ppg).  Wyoming Area (3-1) looks to be in good position to flip last year’s 6-16 season mark.  The Lady Warriors dropped a 63-35 loss to Riverside, a premier Lackawanna League contender before rebounding with wins over Elk Lake (72-43) and Forest City (61-14).  They are led by a trio of senior guards, Cassidy Orzel (20 ppg), Nicole Silinskie (15.3 ppg), and Mackenzie Nocchi (7.7 ppg).  WA also has 5-10 junior forward Maria Amato along with a pair of upcoming freshmen in Morgan Janeski and Anna Wisnewski (scoring a combined 13.7 ppg).  Lake-Lehman (2-3) advanced to the championship of the Lady Cougar Tip Off with a 67-32 semi-final win over Mifflin County.  The Knights then lost to Hazleton Area, 56-31 in the title game.  After dropping a 60-25 loss to undefeated Scranton Prep, they bounced back with a 48-42 win over Marian Catholic.  L-L is paced by senior Sarah Salas (14 ppg) and sophomore Claire Dougherty (13.8 ppg).  Northwest Area (3-0) has defeated Benton (53-28), Muncy (46-28), and Blue Ridge (51-12).  Senior Reagan Harrison is averaging 17.7 ppg.  She is joined by senior Tess Edwards along with upcoming freshman Charleigh Miner.  Tunkhannock (1-3) picked up their first win of the season, 30-27 over Mountain View Monday night following losses to Elk Lake (62-52), Carbondale (37-30), and Wilkes-Barre Area (56-42).  The Lady Tigers have been getting balanced scoring from Alaina Ritz, Haley Long, and Rani Shrivastava plus freshmen Anna Williams and Lexi Corby.  Hanover Area (0-3) is still looking for their first win of the season, dropping losses to Riverside (63-33), Pittston Area (47-20), and North Pocono (72-39).  The Lady Hawkeyes feature a pair of seniors in Sarah Tuzinski and Madison Hooper, sophomores Kyleen McCance and Alley Sheridan, and freshman Hannah Salowski.  MMI Prep (2-1) has already surpassed their win total from last year.  The Lady Preppers defeated Weatherly 41-39 as Kim Amentler (17 ppg) hit the game-winner. She then netted 21 points in their 41-12 victory over Executive Education Academy.  MMI dropped their first loss to Shenandoah Valley (57-28).                                                                     

Lackawanna League

DIVISION 1 TEAMS

 The Lackawanna League is filled with many outstanding girls’ teams and that is going to deliver fantastic division races.  Among Division 1 teams, Scranton Prep (4-0) remains undefeated in exhibition action.  The Classics have absolutely dominated against some good competition, including Berwick (49-22), Lake-Lehman 60-25), Mahanoy Area (63-18), and Wyoming Valley West (61-30).  Prep has a sensational duo of junior guards in Rachel Rose (14.5 ppg) and Cecelia Collins (13.8 ppg).  Sophomore guard Maria Belardi adds 8.8 ppg.  Prep also returns forwards Meredith Purcell (a 5-8 junior) and Avery McNulty (a 5-10 sophomore).  Abington Heights (4-1) is another team with exceptional skill all over the floor.  Like Prep, the Lady Comets use their relentless defense to get things going.  AH gets balanced scoring led by Clair Marion with 15.6 ppg.  She netted 30 points in their 69-42 win over Montrose and then added 19 points in an impressive 62-36 victory over North Schuylkill.  Abington started the season by splitting a pair of games at the Jim Church Souderton Tourney (losing to perennial powerhouse Saint Basil Academy 39-20 before rolling over Harriton, 59-28).  Monday night they got by Pittston Area 36-22.  The Lady Comets also feature junior Rachel McDonald and sophomore Anna Scoblick in the backcourt.  Inside, AH has a versatile pair of impact players in Erin Albright (5-9 senior forward) and Allison Dammer (5-11 sophomore forward).  Valley View (3-1) is another team with a terrific lineup.  It will be interesting to see how the Lady Cougars match up in league play.  They started the season with wins over Montrose (61-37), Mid Valley (55-20), and Wyoming Valley West (57-31) before dropping a 51-37 loss to Division 3 contender Old Forge Monday night.  The perimeter game is solid with three seniors, highlighted by Jadyn Swartout (14.8 ppg) and Faith Kendricks (13.3 ppg).  They are joined by Mia Rudalavage.  Inside Valley View has 5-10 junior forward Skylar Bianchi (13.2 ppg) who hit 21 point in their win over WVW.  Add in freshman guard Alexa Evangalesta (4 ppg) and this is a very talented lineup.  West Scranton (1-2) is another squad with high expectations.  Expect the Lady Invaders to be a factor in this uber-talented division, although they do lack overall height.  What West does have is a quarter of experienced senior guards in Tatum Repshis (14.3 ppg), Nya Johnson (17 ppg), Angelina Moraca, and Cassandra Moraca.  After dropping their season opener at Dallas (46-39) in the Mike Duda Memoria Tourney, they bounced back to defeat Honesdale (65-44).  Against Division 3 powerhouse Dunmore, Repshis netted 19 pints (with 4 triples) in a 59-38 loss to the Lady Bucks.  Scranton (0-3) is still looking for their first win of the season after dropping losses to Wyoming Valley West (60-28), Holy Cross (62-40), and Wilkes-Barre Area (59-38).  Their 6-3 senior center Colette Mulderig is hitting 12.7 ppg.  Senior guard Sophia Glogowski and freshman guard Lanie Olsen are contributing a combined 12.3 ppg.                                                                      

DIVISION 2 TEAMS

 Western Wayne (3-2) took home a pair of wins to start their season at the Towanda Shootout, getting by Towanda (56-43) and Sayre (57-19).  They then dropped a pair of games to Holy Cross (75-39) and Berwick (39-29) before logging a 45-26 victory over Mid Valley on Saturday.  The Wildcats are paced by their super-talented sophomore guard Kaeli Romanowski (17.6 ppg).  She netted 27 points in their win over the Spartanettes.  Another sophomore guard, Kathy Shepherd, is averaging 6.8 ppg.  Inside, the ‘Cats feature 5-11 senior forward Coral Swoyer (7.4 ppg).  Western Wayne also has a freshmen guard duo (Skylar Long and Jaque Morris) who are contributing a combined 10.8 ppg.  North Pocono (1-3) returns an experienced backcourt led by senior Jenna Montana (8.8 ppg), junior Jenna Beach (14.3 ppg), junior Carena Colo (11.8 ppg), and junior Alicia Goldenzeil.  The Lady Trojans got a win over Hanover Area (72-39) wrapped around losses to district contenders Nanticoke Area (58-54 in overtime) and Riverside (50-28).  Beach hit 21 points in the win over Hanover Area.  In the loss to GNA, Beach, Montana, and Colo each contributed 15 points.  Wallenpaupack (2-2) rebounded from a 55-35 loss to Stroudsburg to take the consolation game of the Lake Region Tip Off after a 37-31 victory over East Stroudsburg North.  The Lady Buckhorns then defeated Mountain View (40-25) before dropping a 52-48 loss to Lakeland.  Sophomore guard Devon Kiesendahl has been steady, scoring 12.3 ppg.  ‘Paupack has a young team with Megan Desmet (a sophomore), three juniors (Reanna Cleveland, Haley Caccavale, and Makenna Peet), and a freshman (Grace Steffen) getting playing time.  Honesdale (0-2) dropped both games at the Mike Duda Memorial Tourney to Wyoming Valley West (60-48) and West Scranton (65-44) and has since been idle for the last week.  The Lady Hornets feature senior guards Taylor Maxson and Sophia Goyette along with a pair of sophomores in Rowan Murray (5-9 forward) and Chloe Lyle.  Delaware Valley (1-2) got a 39-33 win over Pocono Mountain East sandwiched around losses to Pleasant Valley (59-35) and East Stroudsburg North (50-28).  The Lady Warriors are led by 5-11 junior forward Brooke Acoveno (11.3 ppg).  Del-Val also features guards Ashley Thalassinos (senior), Kaitlyn Hernandez (junior), and Mackenzie Olsommer (sophomore).                                       

DIVISION 3 TEAMS

 Going into Wednesday evening, there were still five undefeated teams remaining in Division 3 and an overall won-loss exhibition season mark of 17-5.  Dunmore has established the recent level of excellence across the district, but it may start getting a bit more crowded at the top this year.  The Lady Bucks (2-0) have only played a pair of games so far, getting wins over Crestwood (66-17) and West Scranton (59-38).  Moriah Murray burst onto the scene last year averaging 16 ppg and hitting 86 triples.  The sophomore is back and joined by a trio of talented junior guards in Elisa Delfino, Anna Tallutto, and Alexa Chapman.  And, those concerns about the inside game disappearing, well, um… EXIT Player of the Year Victoria Toomey (6-1 center) and ENTER 6-2 freshman Ciera Toomey.  And for as good as Dunmore may become this year, the reality is that this is a youthful squad that may be a year away from hitting their full potential.  Riverside (4-0) has one of the most talented and deep lineups in the entire district.  Sophomore guard Kylie Lavelle is leading the way scoring 20 ppg.  She is joined by junior guard Emily Taylor (5.8 ppg).  And the Lady Vikings have a versatile frontcourt including 5-10 senior center Leah Hodick (8.8 ppg).  She is joined by junior forwards Kayla Rose (9.7 ppg) and Alese Karpinski (4.8 ppg).  Add in a handful of outstanding sophomores and you can see why there are good times ahead for this program.  Riverside has defeated Hanover Area (63-33), Wyoming Area (63-35), Lackawanna Trail (63-15), and North Pocono (50-28).  Holy Cross (3-0) is yet another lineup filled with terrific underclassmen which will also keep the Lady Crusaders very optimistic looking toward the future.  That being said, this is a balanced team that is already off to a stellar start to their season.  They defeated Scranton (62-40) and Western Wayne (75-39) before rallying for an impressive 75-67 win over rival Holy Redeemer.  Kaci Kranson (5-8 sophomore forward) has been on fire, averaging 29.3 ppg.  They have also been getting strong efforts from juniors Abbey Lentowski (10.7 ppg) and Emily Ferguson (11.7 ppg).  The Lady Crusaders also have some height with sophomores Julie Goetz and Molly White along with junior Erin McGee.  Another undefeated squad that returns a majority of their lineup is Old Forge (4-0).  The Lady Devils have a great mix of players led by 5-8 junior forward Olivia Ciullo (25 ppg) and senior guard Lindsey Welsh (18.7 ppg with 8 triples).  They get a lot of players into their rotation including 5-9 senior center Maria Garcia, junior guard Makayla Parker, 5-8 junior center Angelina Rios, sophomore guard Brooke Arnold, and junior forward Hannah Grasso.  They have wins over Mountain View (65-27), Lackawanna Trail (57-12), and Dallas (50-35) in which Ciullo netted 23 points.  Lakeland (2-0) is yet another team building toward the future as the Lady Chiefs have no seniors on their roster.  They defeated Wallenpaupack (52-48) and Forest City (51-23).  Junior guard Addie Piraino scored 20 points in the win over ‘Paupack.  She is joined by juniors Colby White (a guard) and Rachel Battle (5-8 forward).  They also have a pair of sophomore guards in Skylar Arendt and Angelica Nowak.  Carbondale (2-2) returns the majority of their lineup and also has no seniors on the roster.  The Chargerettes have been getting balanced scoring from junior guards Deana Mancuso (6.8 ppg), Diana Arnese (6.0 ppg), and Alyvia Schiavone (7.8 ppg).  Forwards Sarah Tolerico (a junior) and Mia Marrero (a sophomore) combine for 9.3 ppg.  Carbondale has wins over East Stroudsburg North (25-8) and Tunkhannock (37-30) and has dropped games to Stroudsburg (56-31) and Mountain View (46-42).  Mid Valley (0-3) is looking for their first win on the season after losses to Valley View (55-20), Wyoming Seminary (46-24), and Western Wayne (45-26).  The Spartanettes return sophomore guard Katie Glinsky and sophomore forward Kaylee Terranella.                                                                              

DIVISION 4 TEAMS

 Susquehanna Community (1-2) started out with a 57-45 win over Northeast Bradford before dropping games to Nanticoke Area (56-22) and Wyoming Area (52-48).  The bulk of their offensive punch is via their experienced seniors, guard Taylor Huyck (23.7 ppg) and 6-0 forward Mackenzie Steele (18.7 ppg).  Mountain View (3-3) is paced by junior guard Regan Cameron (12.8 ppg).  Their lone senior, guard Abby Neri, is joined by several underclassmen in providing balanced scoring (including 5-6 junior forward Morgan Hammond, junior guard Jade Travis, junior guard Emory Bewley, and freshman guard Taylor Neri.  The Lady Eagles defeated East Stroudsburg Notre Dame (49-44, Cameron 23 points), Carbondale (46-42), and Sayre (47-36).  Their losses were to Wallenpaupack (40-25), Old Forge (65-27), and Tunkhannock (30-27).  Elk Lake (2-2) returns much of their lineup from their 10-13 squad from last year.  The Lady Warriors have victories over Tunkhannock (62-52) and Wyalusing (59-51) while dropping tilts to Wyoming Area (72-43) and Northeast Bradford (59-55).  They are led by sophomore guard Krista Jones (21 ppg) and 5-9 senior forward Mercedes Zajaczkowski (13.8 ppg).  Junior guards Tamara Voda and Destiney McCarey combine for another 10.5 ppg.  Blue Ridge (2-2) got wins over Sayre (43-23) and Chenango Valley (33-26) wrapped around losses to Towanda (64-25) and Northwest Area (51-12).  The Lady Raiders return several players with playing experience including seniors Ashley Torres (11 ppg) and Savannah Glover (7.5 ppg).  They are joined by sophomore guards Rayne Glover, Alexis Parks, and Kara Wdowiak who are combining for 6.3 ppg.  Montrose (0-2) dropped games to Division 1 contenders Valley View (61-37) and Abington Heights (69-42).  The Lady Meteors return a pair of sophomore guards in Ciara Hundley and Tangi Smith. They also have senior guard Annalise Ely, junior guard Elizabeth Lathrop, and 5-9 freshman forward Hayley Pompey.  Forest City (0-3) return a pair of junior guards, Bella Pleska (7.7 ppg) and Madeline Shema (5.0 ppg).  The Lady Foresters dropped games to Lakeland (51-23), Pittston Area (49-9), and Wyoming Area (61-14).  Lackawanna Trail (0-3) is also looking for their first win after losses to Old Forge (57-12), Riverside (63-15), and Dallas (60-4).  The Lady Lions return a pair of sophomore guard in Megan Gatto and Amaralis Thiel.                                      

Williamsport Lady Millionaires

A quick update on Williamsport (2-3).  The Lady Millionaires opened up their season once again at the Lady Cougar Tip Off.  They lost the opener to Hazleton Area ,51-36, getting 22 combined points from Sophia Erb and Kailee Helmrich.  Port then dropped the consolation game to Mifflin County (60-47) as Katelyn Wilson hit 21 points.  The Cherry and White got their first victory, 53-41 over Montoursville as Wilson netted 10 points.  In their 59-51 win over Crestwood, junior forward Jessica Robinson hit 12 while Wilson added 10.  The Lady Millionaires then got 23 combined points from Wilson, Erb, and Helmrich in a 45-35 loss to highly-regarded Linden Hall.                

See you in the bleachers !