CLARKS SUMMIT – A late-season shooting slump made the process more difficult, but Abington Heights is back in the District 2 Class 5A boys basketball championship game after a three-year absence.
The top-seeded Comets (20-4) will play sixth-seeded West Scranton (14-10) in the championship game, which is scheduled for March 3 at Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza. West Scranton pulled off consecutive upsets, including beat Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 champion Dallas in overtime in the semifinals.
Abington Heights 47, North Pocono 24
Abington Heights pounded North Pocono on the boards, grabbing 14 of the first 16 rebounds of the second half while breaking the Feb. 24 Class 5A semifinal game open.
Mason Fedor did not score and had just two rebounds while playing less than 3½ minutes of the first half before picking up two fouls. He had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the second half.
“Sitting the whole first half was tough,” Fedor said. “I knew I had to come out and do my part down low in the second half.”
Will Marion also scored 10 points while Robby Lucas grabbed nine rebounds.
The Comets outscored the Lackawanna League Division 2 champions, 27-10, in the second half.
Valley View 50, Abington Heights 36
SCRANTON – Eli Yusavage scored 19 points to lead the way as Valley View won its first Lackawanna League Division 1 title since 2004 when it defeated Abington Heights in a playoff at Scranton High School.
The teams had tied at 11-2, splitting their regular-season meetings to wind up tied.
Valley View broke open a one-point game at halftime.
The Cougars limited the Comets to 11-for-51 (21.6 percent) shooting from the floor and 2-for-21 (9.5 percent) from 3-point range.
Fedor led the Comets with nine points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots. He blocked three shots in the first quarter, which ended with the Comets in front, 11-9.
Regular season
The Comets were 9-0 in the Lackawanna until beginning February with consecutive losses, 41-38, at Valley View and 43-41 at Scranton.
Valley View forced a first-place tie with its home win and the tie remained when the Cougars lost to Division 2 champion North Pocono while Abington Heights was falling to Scranton.
Patrick Walsh went 4-for-5 from 3-point range to lead Abington Heights with 12 points in the loss to eventual champion Valley View.
Fedor had 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks.
The Comets recovered to win their final two games.
