PIttston Area’s Kallie Booth is shown scoring three of her eight points on the night against Dallas Area at home.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
The Patriots’ Daniella Ranieli dribbles past the Dallas defense on way to scoring a game high 20 points.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area keep the ball moving against Dallas as senior Ava Callahan, left, passes the ball to teammate Daniella Ranieli (2).
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Ava Callahan drained 3 three point baskets on her way to scoring 11 points for Pittston Area against Dallas Area on Thursday evening.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
PIttston Area senior Taylor Baiera (25) was solid under the boards as she grabs her own rebound off her missed shot to score a basket against Dallas Area.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Pittston Area is one step away from a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 girls basketball title repeat.
Daniella Ranieli drained four 3-pointers while scoring 20 points Thursday night as the Lady Patriots clinched at least a tie for first place in the division with a 44-33, home-court victory over Dallas.
The Lady Patriots are 11-1 and two games ahead in the division with two games remaining.
That advantage gives Pittston Area four chances to wrap up the championship.
The simplest approach for the Lady Patriots is to win Monday’s game at Tunkhannock. They can also take the title if second-place Wyoming Valley West loses at Hazleton Area Monday or if Pittston Area beats Wyoming Valley West Wednesday when they meet in Yatesville. If all those fail, Pittston Area would still have another chance to beat Wyoming Valley West in a playoff.
Pittston Area used its 3-point shooting and defense to move within that final step of a title.
The Lady Patriots made eight 3-pointers, including five in the second quarter when they turned a 4-4 tie into a 21-16 halftime lead.
Ranieli made three 3-pointers in the quarter while Ava Callahan and Kallie Booth made one each.
Callahan had three 3-pointers in the first three quarters while scoring 11 points.
Booth went 3-for-4 at the line in the fourth quarter, helping to close out the win while finishing with eight points.
The Lady Patriots have already clinched the top seed in the District 2 Class 5A tournament and have the district’s best overall record, regardless of classification, at 19-1.
Pittston Area 39, Wilkes-Barre Area 22
PLAINS TWP. – Pittston Area didn’t score in the second quarter Monday night.
The circumstances, though, weren’t dire because Wilkes-Barre Area, which entered the game in second place, scored just two in the period.
Pittston Area snapped out of the cold spell first, quickly scoring six points in the third quarter on the way to victory.
Wilkes-Barre Area entered the game with a chance to force a first-place tie in the division. By the time the week was over, the Wolfpack had been eliminated.
The second quarter was akin to the third quarter when the teams played on Jan. 9. In that game, Pittston Area had a one-point third period, but held WBA to four points and won 40-35.
“That’s the same thing I said in the locker room because we did the same thing (at Pittston Area),” WBA coach Mary Mushock-Namey said. “I think we held them scoreless up there and we scored four points. … We just could not find the groove on offense whatsoever tonight.”
Pittston Area led 13-8 after one quarter as Maddie Karp scored inside and Daniella Ranieli hit a 3-pointer to finish the period. The Patriots didn’t score again until Ava Callahan hit a jumper at 7:17 of the third.
In between, WBA had offensive issues of its own. Shelby Ardo Boyko had the only basket of the second quarter as the Wolfpack finished 1-of-10 from the field.
Pittston Area used Callahan’s basket to start the third to seize some much-needed momentum. Taylor Baiera followed with an inside basket and Ranieli dropped in a pair of free throws for a 19-10 lead just 91 seconds into the quarter.
“We needed a basket,” Pittston Area coach Jeff Gregory said. “I told the girls coming off the locker room we just need a basket to get going.”
WBA’s Mackenzie Evans broke up the run with a 3-pointer, but the Wolfpack’s next basket didn’t come for another 10 minutes. Their four points during the span all came from the foul line.
Pittston Area went on a 16-2 run after Evans’ trey to take a 35-15 lead with just over three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
WBA finished with a season-low 22 points and turned over the ball 12 times in the second half.
“I think this was one of the best defensive efforts of any team of mine that I’ve had in coaching,” Gregory said.
Daniella Ranieli led the offense with 17 points.
