Jake Antolick (21) of Lackawanna Trail goes up for a shot during their Dec. 3, 2024, game against Old Forge.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Ryan Wilbur (20) of Lackawanna Trail collects a rebound during their contest with Old Forge on Dec. 3, 2024.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Jacob Whiteduck (23) of Lackawanna Trail dribbles the ball around an Old Forge defender on Dec. 3, 2024.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Trail’s Lorenzo Domiano (22) and teammate Jacob Whiteduck (23) box out an Old Forge player during their Dec. 3, 2024, matchup.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Sean Langley (33) passes to teammate Ashton Thiel (3) during Lackawanna Trail’s consolation game against Forest City on Dec. 29, 2024.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Lackawanna Trail’s Lucas Filipek (20) takes a shot during their consolation game at the Taylor Lions Tournament on December 29.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Jake Antolick (21) of Lackawanna Trail goes up for a shot during during a consolation game of the Taylor Lions Tournament on Dec. 29, 2024.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Lorenzo Domiano (22) of Lackawanna Trail shoots a three pointer during their Taylor Lions Tournament game against Forest City on Dec. 29, 2024.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Trail’s Jimmy Phillips (23) takes a contested shot against Forest City during their Taylor Lions Tournament consolation game on Dec. 29, 2024.
Buck Norton-Jennings | For Abington Journal
Lackawanna Trail broke a 26-game Lackawanna League boys basketball losing streak in its Division 3 opener, then created a winning streak in its next outing.
The host Lions defeated Blue Ridge, the champion when most of the same teams were together in Division 4 a year ago, 61-40.
The victory made Lackawanna Trail one of four Division 3 teams to start 2-0 in league play, matching Elk Lake, Montrose and Mountain View. It improved the Lions to 5-5 overall going into their scheduled Jan. 6 game, third-best out of seven teams in the District 2 Class 2A seeding race.
Coach Ben Domiano says his players are improving every day. The Lions are backing up that assertion with their performance.
Lackawanna Trail has won three of its last four and five of its last seven since dropping the first three games of the season by a total of 59 points. The last three wins by the Lions have been by their biggest margins of the season, 19, 20, then 21 points.
The Lions jumped out to a 20-4 lead after one quarter against Blue Ridge.
Jake Antolick, a returning all-star who is again the team’s leading scorer, hit two 3-pointers in the quarter on the way to 17 points. Jimmy Phillips added 12 points in the win.
Lackawanna Trail won its league opener 54-35 over Carbondale Dec. 21.
Antolick poured in 26 points against the Chargers. He had eight points and Phillips hit two 3-pointers during a 26-point second quarter that turned a tie into a 33-14 halftime lead.
Phillips finished with 10 points.
In between the two league games, the Lions placed third in the Taylor Lions Tournament Dec. 27 and 29 at Riverside. They lost 62-51 to North Pocono, a Lackawanna Division 1 team, then beat division rival Forest City 61-41.
The Lions also finished third while hosting the Cal King Tournament earlier in the month. They lost to Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 co-leader Lake-Lehman 53-42 and defeated Western Wayne 56-48.
Antolick had 17 points against Lake-Lehman, Phillips scored 19 against Western Wayne and Lorenzo Domiano represented the Lions on the all-tournament team.
Lackawanna Trail’s other win was 49-42 in a non-league game at Tunkhannock Dec. 9.
