Pittston Area’s Silvio Giardina, who finished with a team-high 18 points, fires up a shot against Crestwood.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area’s Silvio Giardina (2) gets fouled by Crestwood’s Connor Wagaman in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Crestwood’s Ayden Agapito (24) gets charged with goaltending off on a layup by Pittston Area’s Matt Walter.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Connor Wagaman (4) scored 10 of 15 first-quarter points for Crestwood against Pittston Area. He finished with a game-high 21.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pittston Area’s Aiden Lynn (24) attempts to avoid contact with Crestwood’s Cameron Scotti (10) while going for a loose ball.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
YATESVILLE — Crestwood had the situation where it’s most comfortable after one quarter Thursday night against an opponent in an offensive slump.
The Comets were hitting shots, playing tight defense and ahead by six.
Pittston Area reversed roles over the final three quarters.
The Patriots caught Crestwood midway through the third quarter and then held on for a 44-39 win in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 boys basketball opener for both teams.
Pittston Area (1-0 Div. 1, 4-3 overall) entered with a three-game losing streak where it averaged 43.3 points.
“We needed it,” Pittston Area coach Al Semenza said. “It’s early in the year and you hear guys saying this is a game that could turn the season. The wheels were coming off. We’ve had some problems getting things done. I wasn’t happy with our demeanor in a couple games.
“Our guys came to play tonight. Crestwood was on a roll. They are always tough and were playing well coming into this. I think they won four or five in a row against some tough competition.”
So when Crestwood (0-1 Div. 1, 6-3) built a 17-9 lead early in the second quarter behind the shooting of Connor Wagaman, it appeared the game could be slipping from the Patriots’ grasp.
Instead, the Patriots endured and took their first lead, 25-24, when Silvio Giardina scored on a drive at 4:46 of the third quarter. Matt Walter followed with two baskets, the first on a goaltending call after he made a steal and the second on a sharp pass from Giardina.
Giardina capped the 9-0 run with a 3-pointer for a 32-24 lead with 1:41 remaining in the third.
Wagaman netted a couple 3-pointers to end the third, and a free throw by Ayden Agapito to start the fourth moved Crestwood within 32-31. But a 3-pointer by Giardina and a baseline cut by Lucas Lopresto gave Pittston Area some breathing room
A pair of free throws with 4.8 seconds by Paul Jordan McGarry after he won a scramble for a loose ball in Crestwood’s offensive end sealed the win.
Aside from Wagaman, no other Comet found a consistent shooting touch. They finished 6-of-21 behind the arc, with Wagaman canning five of them.
“It just kind of went flat for us,” Crestwood coach Mark Atherton said. “Pittston did a couple good things defensively to kind of take us out of a little bit of a flow. Honestly, I thought we had to take the ball a little bit more to the basket. We started settling too much for jumpers.”
Pittston Area 44, Crestwood 39
CRESTWOOD (39) — Ryan Sechleer 0 0-0 0, Jacob Feisel 0 1-2 1, Gio Barna 2 0-0 5, Connor Wagaman 8 0-0 21, Cameron Scotti 0 0-0 0, Brady Grevera 0 0-0 0, Adyen Agapito 4 1-2 9, Kell Edwards 1 1-2 4, Tommy Biscotti 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 3-6 39.
PITTSTON AREA (44) — Silivo Giardina 7 1-3 18, Lucas Lopresto 2 2-4 6, Matt Walter 3 0-0 7, Paul Jordan McGarry 3 2-2 11, Aiden Lynn 0 2-4 2, Aidan Clarke 0 0-0 0, John Jadus 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 7-11 44.
Crestwood`15`4`11`9 — 39
Pittston Area`8`9`15`12 — 44
Three-point goals: CRE 6 (Wagaman 5, Edwards). PA 7 (Giardina 3, Walter, McGarry 3).
