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District 2 Boys Game Recap (Valley View at Scranton)
 

District 2 Boys Game Recap (Valley View at Scranton)

Written by: Jon K on January 6, 2024

 

 

January 5, 2024

 

Knights Hand Cougars First Loss

 

Scranton 50, Valley View 44

 

by Jon K.

SCRANTON – While it’s impossible to label any early January matchup a must-win game, after Scranton’s 25-point loss to Abington Heights on Tuesday, it sure had that feel on Friday evening as they hosted undefeated Valley View.  After the Cougars took their largest lead of the game, 37-31, late in the third period, the Knights cranked up their defense and began to drive to the basket as they outscored their opponent 15-4 to gain momentum and hold on for a big 50-44 victory.  Senior guard JT Homentosky did not play for Valley View and the Cougars definitely missed his long-range shooting (and 9.1 ppg) as they only netted one triple in the game.  Scranton’s defense did a stellar job limiting VV high-scorer Kyle Rupp to only 4 points (15.4 points below his season average).  Knight’s senior guard Matt Barrett, who had 4 total treys on the season coming into the game, caught fire and connected on 4 in the second period.  That scoring filled the void when a pair of Scranton starters were held scoreless. 

This one started out a bit chaotic for Scranton with several early turnovers.  Dom Memo and Noah Veno gave the Cougars a 4-0 lead three minutes into the contest.  Sophomore guard Tony Battaglia connected on a pair of triples wrapped around another Veno drive to the basket to knot things up at 6.  Cullen then made a nifty steal and layup following a score by Oliver Almonte completing a 10-2 run that gave them a four-point lead.  Rupp banked a driving floater before the buzzer to trim the deficit to 10-8 heading into the second frame.

Matt Barrett’s hot shooting throughout the second quarter gave Scranton a pair of 6-point leads, but the Cougars kept clawing their way back.  After Beyon McLean tied things up at 10, Barrett found his corner sweet spot with back-to-back triples that put the Knights back up 16-10 at the 6:25 mark.  Chris Kucharski showed his athletic ability with a driving score followed by a Veno basket cutting it to 16-14.  Veno continued his strong effort (10 points in the period) with another drive and traditional 3-point play wrapped around three more treys by the sizzling Knights (2 more for Barrett and 1 for Jon Levine) to make it 25-19.  In the closing minutes of the first half, Valley View went on a 7-0 run to grab the lead back, 26-25.  Kucharski started that spurt followed by Veno with another 3-point play plus a pair of free throws.  Jaheam Roberts got to the charity stripe in the closing half-minute as the Knights went into the locker tying the game at 26.  So far, this one was living up to pre-game expectations.

The second half began much like the opening tip off with both teams turning the ball over.  The Cougars went on an 11-5 run to grab a 37-31 lead with under two minutes remaining in the period.  Aiden Smola got things going with a drive down the lane. After the Knights missed several inside shots and turned the ball over, Smola got a three-point play at the 5:48 mark giving VV the 31-26 advantage.  Roberts got Scranton on the second half board three minutes into the quarter with a nice drive.  Rupp then added pair of free throws followed by a basket and free throw by Pedro Lugo cutting it to 33-31.  Valley View took their largest lead of the game after consecutive scores by McLean making it 37-31, but free throw shooting across the middle periods continued to be a problem for the Cougars.  Scranton finished the third stanza on a 5-0 spurt as Cullen Moran nailed a triple followed by a jumper by Almonte at the buzzer trimming the deficit to a single point, 37-36.

The final quarter began with a frenzy of scoring – baskets by Almonte and Memo, another trey by Battaglia, and score by Smola – tied things up at 41 with 6:40 remaining in the game.  At that point, Scranton got some big rebounds and a key block from Almonte as the Cougars shooting went cold over the next 4+ minutes.  The result was a 46-41 lead with 2:05 left in the contest.  Almonte and Moran netted free throws and Roberts scored via a terrific feed from Battaglia.  With the Knights looking to work the clock, back-to-back turnovers gave VV an opportunity to get back into the game.  Veno connected on a long triple with 33 seconds remaining cutting it to 46-44.  Almonte responded with a lay-in and then Barrett made a pair of free throws to close out the 50-44 victory.

Scranton continues to get valuable contributions off their bench (25 points) led by Matt Barrett with 14 points (4 triples).  Tony Battaglia and Oliver Almonte each netted 9 points.  Cullen Moran, Jaheam Roberts, Jon Levine, and Pedro Lugo combined for 18 points.  The Knights connected on 9 treys and converted 7 of 13 free throws.

Valley View was paced by Noah Veno with 17 points.  Aiden Smola added 9 points.  Beyon McLean, Kyle Rupp, Nick Kucharski, and Dom Memo combined for 18 points.  The Cougars had 1 triple and made 7 of 13 opportunities at the charity stripe.

Both teams continue play in Lackawanna League Division 1 on Monday (note that Boys’ teams are on the Monday/Thursday schedule this season).  Scranton (9-2) will host city-rival West Scranton (5-6) while Valley View  (10-1) entertains undefeated Abington Heights (10-0).    

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