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District 2 Boys Recap (WVC Boys Title: Dallas vs. Wilkes-Barre Area)
 

District 2 Boys Recap (WVC Boys Title: Dallas vs. Wilkes-Barre Area)

Written by: Jon K on February 18, 2024

 

 

February 17, 2024

 

Balanced Attack Keys Dallas Title Win

 

Dallas 61, Wilkes-Barre Area 46

 

HAZLE TOWNSHIP – When the Dallas Mountaineers can rappel at their own pace and control the temp of a game, they are a very dangerous team.  They have a lightning quick defense and a lineup without any weaknesses.  Unlike some matchups in which his outside scoring is needed, Saturday night’s Wyoming Valley Conference Boys Championship game allowed Jude Nocito to orchestrate the action as a trio of his teammates teamed up for 49 points in their 61-46 win over Wilkes-Barre Area.  Despite dropping both regular season games to the Wolfpack by a mere total of four points, Dallas made a strong statement heading toward the District 2 playoffs as they topped both division winners on their way to the WVC Title. 

The Wolfpack grabbed their only lead of the game (5-4) before Dallas moved out to an 18-9 edge on a 14-4 run.  Zach Paczewski got Dallas on the board with a driving score.  Mike Keating would tie things up at 2 at the 5:30 mark before Mike Cumbo got a steal and layup for the Mounts.  Evan Laybourn-Boddie gave WBA that brief lead before Nick Williams and Jude Nocito (feed from Cameon Faux) converted layups for an 8-5 lead.  Williams again made a strong drive to the hoop followed by a fadeaway score by Nocito before Laybourn-Boddie drove to the basket cutting the Mounts lead to 11-9 at the 2:00 mark.  Dallas then put together a 7-0 spurt that began with a triple by Paczewski and ended with layups by Cumbo and Williams (off a Pack turnover).  WBA trimmed the deficit to 18-14 in the closing minute of the first period with scores by Melvin Egbeto and Laybourn-Boddie.

The pace became a lot more deliberate in the second quarter as both teams slowed things down.  Jack Dale and Cumbo pushed the Dallas lead to 22-14.  Kapril Cottle got back-to-back baskets for the Wolfpack (a putback and inside shot) wrapped around a bank shot by Brady Zapoticky (24-18).  Wilkes-Barre Area continued to trim away at the deficit getting a pair of free throws from Cottle – he then got the ball to Laybourn-Boddie to make it a four-point game, 26-22.  Before halftime, though, Cumbo got a clutch triple sending Dallas to the locker room with a 29-22 lead.

In the third period, Wilkes-Barre Area again cut the deficit to six points, 34-28, but Dallas responded with a Paczewski layup (from Cumbo) plus a Williams slam dunk to put them back up by ten points and let their fans be heard.  David Januzzi got a baseline drive followed by a corner triple by Paczewski (32-24).  Williams nailed a jumper before Vincent Garrett got a putback (34-28) at the 5:39 mark.  Dallas went up by ten, 38-28, after Williams’ dunk.  Keating scored for the Pack and Channing Brown added a free throw to cut it to 38-31 at the 4:10 mark.  The Mounts finished the frame on a 6-0 run as Paczewski scored followed by a pair of free throws by Faux and Nocito to head to the final quarter with a 44-31 advantage.

Wilkes-Barre was able to cut it to 46-37 as Cottle got back-to-back scores, but they could get no closer.  Another score by Williams and a triple swish by Cumbo pushed it back to 51-37.  Paczewski continued to play very well as he got a turnaround score in the lane followed by a layup on a fast break (feed from Faux).  Laybourn-Boddie added a triple and driving score wrapped around another drive by Williams.  Brown scored with a minute remaining to cut it to 57-46, but a layup by Paczewski and a Cumbo steal and layup secured the 61-46 victory.

Dallas was led by Zach Paczewski (18 points), Mike Cumbo (16 points), and Nick Williams (15 points).  Jude Nocito, Cameron Faux, Brady Zapoticky, and Jack Dale combined for 12 points.  The Mounts netted 4 triples and made 5 of 6 free throws.

Wilkes-Barre Area was paced by Evan Laybourn-Boddie with 17 points and Kaprie Cottle with 10 points.  David Januzzi, Channing Brown, Mike Keating, Melvin Egbeto, and Vincent Garrett combined for 19 points.  The Wolfpack connected on 3 triples and made 7 of their 13 opportunities from the charity stripe.

Dallas (18-6), the #2 seed in the upcoming 5A playoffs will host 7-West Scranton on Tuesday night.  Wilkes-Barre (19-5) will be the #2 seed in the 6A District 2/4 tournament.  The Pack will play the winner between 6-Wyoming Valley West and 3-Hazleton Area on Friday night.      

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