Pittston Area junior forward Grace Callahan (32) scores over Abington Heights’ Peyton Houlihan (41) in first-half action on Wednesday night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Ella O’Brien (23) hits for two points at the baseline for Pittston Area at Abington Heights.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Junior guard Maggie Coleman (21) scores on a steal in the second quarter against Pittston Area’s Rowan Lazevnick (20). Coleman scored eight points in the first half against the Patriots.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Comets co-captain Emily McDonald (30) drains a bucket in the second quarter against Pittston Area’s Grace Callahan (32).
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Abington Heights’ senior Madison Zalewski (10) has a clean block on Pittston Area’s Daniella Ranieli (2) on Wednesday.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
CLARKS SUMMIT — After splitting the last two District 2 Class 5A girls basketball championship games, Pittston Area and Abington Heights got together earlier in this year’s tournament.
With Maggie Coleman and Emily McDonald leading the way, host Abington Heights avenged last year’s championship game loss and ended Pittston Area’s title reign and season with a 50-43 victory Wednesday night.
Coleman put Abington Heights ahead to stay with a personal, 8-0 run midway through the second quarter.
McDonald helped keep the Comets in front by going 7-for-8 from the line in the fourth quarter and 9-for-10 in the game while leading Abington Heights with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocked shots.
Coleman, the team’s only junior starter, added 13 points, three assists and two steals.
“They’re a veteran team with four seniors and their junior is a three-year starter,” Pittston Area coach Jeff Gregory said. “We knew coming in that we were going to have our hands full.”
McDonald and Coleman combined to help Abington Heights overcome a 21-point effort by Pittston Area’s Daniella Ranieli.
Abington Heights challenged nearly every dribble and every pass in a tireless defensive effort that forced Pittston Area to work for everything it got offensively. On the other end, the Comets committed just three turnovers in the entire game and none in the fourth quarter while protecting their seven-point lead.
“The plan was to not let their shooters get set because they do have quite a few shooters,” Abington Heights coach Deanna Klingman said. “Ranieli is an excellent player and we knew she could shoot it deep.
“ … Defense was the key for us.”
McDonald broke a trap to assist a Peyton Houlihan layup on the first possession of the second half, then followed Coleman’s left-handed runner from the baseline with a 3-pointer to cap a 9-0 run to the game’s biggest lead at 32-20 with 5:50 left in the third quarter.
Pittston Area got within five points six times the rest of the way, but was unable to cut the deficit to a single possession at any point in the second half.
Ella O’Brien came off the bench to give Pittston Area five points and two rebounds in her first 2:22, then Ranieli hit a step-back, 25-footer at the first-quarter buzzer to give Pittston Area a 12-11 lead.
Coleman made four straight shots, two inside and two from the perimeter, for a 21-16 lead.
Pittston Area finished 12-11.
Third-seeded Abington Heights (17-6) goes to second-seeded Dallas Friday, needing a road win to maintain its status as the only program to appear every year that the finals are held at Mohegan Sun Arena. Next week’s title games are the ninth to be held there.
District 2 Class 5A quarterfinals
Abington Heights 50, Pittston Area 43
PITTSTON AREA (43) — Ranieli 4 10-13 21, Karp 1 0-0 2, Lazevnick 0 0-0 0, Hintze 2 0-0 5, Callahan 3 0-0 6, O’Brien 2 1-2 5, KChernouskas 1 0-0 2, Latona 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 11-15 39.
ABINGTON HEIGHTS (50) — Zalewski 3 1-2 8, KScoblick 0 3-4 3, Callahan 6 1-1 13, McDonald 2 9-10 14, Houlihan 4 1-2 9, LScoblick 0 1-2 1, Walsh 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 16-21 50.
Pittston Area`12`8`10`13 — 43
Abington Heights`11`14`12`13 — 50
Three-point goals — PA (Ranieli 3, Hintze), AH 2 (Zalewski, McDonald).
