District 2 Basketball Tournament (Girls 5A Preview)
Written by: Jon K on February 17, 2020
GIRLS AAAAA
(1) Abington Heights (18-4) bye
(4) Pittston Area (10-12) vs. (5) Wyoming Valley West (9-13)
(2) North Pocono (16-6) vs. (7) Wallenpaupack (4-18)
(3) West Scranton (13-9) vs. (6) Crestwood (3-19)
FAVORITE: Abington Heights
KEEP AN EYE ON: North Pocono, West Scranton
DON’T COUNT OUT: Wyoming Valley West
BEST QUARTER-FINAL: Pittston Area vs. Wyoming Valley West
BEST SEMI-FINAL: North Pocono vs. West Scranton
THE NITTY-GRITTY:
Top-seed Abington Heights gets a quarter-final round bye and can get some scouting in at Wyoming Area Wednesday night. The Lady Comets only lost 4 games this season, a pair to undefeated Lackawanna League Division 1 champion Scranton Prep, their opener to perennial District 1 powerhouse Saint Basil Academy, and to Holy Cross. This is a team with a great blend of sophomores, juniors, and seniors that has terrific on court chemistry. A pair of junior guards lead the way, Clair Marion (13.7 ppg with 28 triples) and Rachel McDonald (10.1 ppg and 57 treys). Maria Tully, a senior guard adds 6.2 ppg (including 25 triples). Inside, AH features a pair of 5-9 forwards, sophomore Anna Scoblick and senior Erin Albright who score a combined 11.7 ppg. Off the bench, Allison Dammer is a terrific 5-11 sophomore forward who contributes 6.2 ppg. For the Lady Comets to soar into a championship, they need to keep key playmakers such as Marion and Albright out of foul trouble and contributing on the scoreboard. North Pocono, the #2 seed, captured the Lackawanna League Division 2 championship with an 11-2 record. Their only division losses were crossovers to Scranton Prep and Abington Heights (53-44). And they had several high-caliber non-league tilts against teams like Riverside, Allentown Central Catholic, and Pocono Mountain West. The Lady Trojans feature a duo of solid junior guards in Carena Colo (12.9 ppg with 17 triples) and Jenna Beach (12.7 ppg). They are joined by senior Jenna Montana (9.7 ppg with 42 treys). Inside NP has 5-11 junior forward Alicia Goldenziel who nets 7.5 ppg. They would love to get another opportunity to take on Abington Heights. Another team that has played a powerhouse schedule is #3 seed West Scranton. The Lady Invaders, who feature a duo of 1,000-point scorers, played non-league games against Dallas, Dunmore, and Riverside – in addition to their four division matchups against Scranton Prep and Abington Heights. Their superb senior guard combo is Nya Johnson (16.9 ppg) and Tatum Repshis (12.3 ppg, 32 triples). Both reached the 1,000-point plateau recently. They are joined by another pair of senior guards in Cassandra Moraca (7.7 ppg, 21 treys) and Angelina Moraca (5.9 ppg). The #4 seed is Pittston Area. The Lady Patriots started the season 9-5 before sliding to the finish with a 1-7 mark. Pittston features a very balanced lineup. Their senior point guard is Jada Sharp (7.5 ppg with 30 triples). She is joined by freshman Kallie Booth (6.7 ppg with 18 triples). Inside, the Lady Pats have a pair of senior forwards in Emma Coles (7.8 ppg with 24 treys) and 5-10 Hannah Getz (7.1 ppg). PA also has a pair of senior guards who contribute a combined 10.3 ppg and 34 triples, Lily Savoy and Nicole Zambetti. Wyoming Valley West, a perennial contender who is having a bit of an off season, did catch everyone’s attention with January wins over Dallas, Berwick, and Nanticoke Area. So, the potential is definitely there for the Lady Spartans to advance. They are led by their senior point guard Toni Amato, a recent 1,000-point scorer that averages 13.3 ppg and has 43 triples. She is complemented on the inside by 6-0 sophomore forward Trinity Johnson (11.2 ppg). Valley West also gets contributions from seniors Aubrey Boyd (guard) and Jessica Shaver (forward) plus a pair of freshmen in guard Haylie Oliphant and forward Kalia Saunders. Wallenpaupack, the #6 seed, is in a rebuilding season. They are led by a pair of sophomore guards in Devon Kiesendahl (11.3 ppg, 22 triples) and Megan Desmet (6.8 ppg, 11 triples). The Lady Buckhorns also have junior guard Reanna Cleveland (3.7 ppg) and 5-10 freshman center, Grace Steffen (4.6 ppg). Crestwood is the #7 seed and another team focused on using this year’s playoff experience to build toward the future. The Lady Comets are led by a trio of juniors in Helena Jardine (8.9 ppg, 12 triples), center Brianna Wickiser (5.3 ppg), and forward Jaden Weiss (3.5 ppg). They also have a duo of talented freshmen in Julia Johnson and Julia Glowacki who combine for 7.7 ppg and have 42 combined triples. Two teams will advance to the state tournament.
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