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District 2 Boys 5A Semi-Final (4-Abington Heights at 1-Pittston Area)
 

District 2 Boys 5A Semi-Final (4-Abington Heights at 1-Pittston Area)

Written by: Jon K on February 25, 2022

 

 

February 25, 2022

 

Another Nail-Biter 5A Playoff in Pittston

 

Pittston Area 43, Abington Heights 36

 

By Phil T.

PITTSTON – Whether the margin of victory is by 1 point or 100 points, a win this time of years means that you survive and advance – and that is exactly what Pittston Area accomplished with their 43-36 win over Abington Heights in the District 2 Boys AAAAA Semifinals on Friday night.
After fending off a late surge from Valley View on Tuesday night, Pittston Area found themselves leading late in the game with an opportunity to seal the victory.  Abington Heights was undeterred and battled until the final whistle.
Early in the final stanza an Anthony Cennetti bucket gave the Patriots a double-digit lead, but the Comets came storming back and went on a 9-2 run to pull within one possession.  However, that run signified the end of the scoring as Pittston was able to prevail in the end.
After trading opening buckets, the Patriots established themselves early on with a 7-0 run to give them a 9-3 advantage in the opening minutes.
The Comets would strike back as Will Marion hit the Comet’s second triple of the night, but Jack Locker would quickly reclaim the advantage with a triple of his own on the ensuing Pat’s possession.  AH would close the gap to two points late in the quarter before a Dom Januzzi pass found a darting J.J. Walsh that resulted in a bucket with mere seconds remaining in the first quarter.
The following stanza would play out in a similar way.  Jamison Bessoir’s second triple of the half pulled Abington within one point.  The Patriots would follow with a 6-0 burst that gave them a 23-18 lead heading into the locker room.
Pittston’s run was sparked by Dom Januzzi who scored all six points.  After being held scoreless in the opening frame, Januzzi broke out scoring seven of the Patriot’s nine points in the quarter.
Coming out of the locker room, J.J. Walsh got the second half started with a mid-range jumper, his only basket in the half, but Januzzi continued to sizzle as he would score the Patriots next seven points.
Mason Fedor would drain the final the shot of the third quarter, cutting the Comet’s deficit to seven, but a trip to the foul line and a Cencetti layup early in the fourth gave Pittston a ten-point lead, their largest of the night.
After another unsuccessful Abington trip to the charity stripe, Marion would score on a drive to the hoop and then force a steal and finish again to pull the Comets back into the game.  Bessior would follow Marion with a three-point field-goal for Abington that pulled them within three points but the margin was too large as the Pittston offense would settle down and put the game away.
Pittston Area came away with the victory but their offensive strategy to work-the-clock almost allowed the Comets back into the contest.  With Abington’s defense playing aggressive, Pittston elected to take the fouls, which only led to one additional trip to the foul line.
On the opposite end of the floor, the charity stripe was not friendly to the Comets on the night as they went 2-8, including two trips that resulted in missed opportunities.
Dom Januzzi led the Patriots to victory with a game-high 14 points to go with seven rebounds and three assists.  Anthony Cencetti added 13 points in his team’s victory while Jack Locker filled up his stat sheet with five points, four rebounds and four blocks.
The Comets were led by Will Marion with 13 points and Jamison Bessoir with 11.  Abington’s leading scorer, Matt Show, was unavailable in tonight’s contest.
With the victory Pittston Area secures its place in the upcoming PIAA AAAAA state tournament and will face the winner of Saturday’s other semi-final, 3-Wallenpaupack at 2-North Pocono, to be played on Saturday night at Mohegan Sun Arena.

 

 

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