WILKES-BARRE TWP. — Both Scranton Prep basketball teams, as well as the boys from Abington Heights and Lackawanna Trail, are headed to the Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza to be part of the 10th year of District 2 championships there.
Of the 22 teams in the three-day, 11-game series from Thursday through Saturday, the Lackawanna Trail boys are the only ones making their debut at the arena.
The two Scranton Prep teams and the Comets will be trying to add to long runs of success at the arena.
The Cavaliers are 8-0 in boys finals there and the Comets are 6-0. The Classic are 6-2.
Abington Heights is missing a girls final at the arena for the first time. It lost to Crestwood in the semifinals.
The Scranton Prep teams will be tying the Lady Comets and the Hazleton Area girls for the most appearances with nine in the 10 years there.
Scranton Prep (22-1) will play Valley View (20-4) in Class 4A girls Thursday at 6 p.m., in the middle game of a tripleheader, in what will be the 100th championship decided at the arena.
Abington Heights (13-10) will complete the Friday tripleheader when it meets Pittston Area (15-8) in the Class 5A boys game at 8 p.m.
Lackawanna Trail (14-10) will play Old Forge (18-5) Saturday at 2 p.m. in Class 2A boys. That game is followed by Scranton Prep (18-6) vs. Valley View (19-5) at 4 p.m. in Class 4A boys.
All four teams have also clinched state tournament berths.
Class 5A boys
CLARKS SUMMIT – Abington Heights reached the final with a stunning, 63-31, Mercy Rule rout of visiting Crestwood in the Feb. 21 semifinal.
Robby Lucas led the way, going 9-for-13 from the floor and 4-for-6 on 3-pointers while scoring 24 points. Andrew Kettel led the defense with four steals and nine of his 10 rebounds on the defensive end.
“Our bigs did a great job boxing out their bigs,” Kettel said of a 34-24 rebounding advantage. “Then, the guards went and got it.”
Crestwood had just four offensive rebounds – one in each quarter.
Lucas, Jordan Shaffer and Kettel combined for 10 baskets from beyond the arc. Shaffer had 17 points and Kettel 13.
Shaffer opened the game with a 3-pointer and had five points during an 8-0 start by Abington Heights, which never trailed.
“Obviously, it was a big game trying to get back to the arena for the third straight year,” Lucas said. “At this point, I’m basically playing to extend my career.”
Class 2A boys
Lackawanna Trail made its way to the final by avenging two earlier losses in a Feb. 19 win over Susquehanna, then beating higher-seeded Mountain View in a Feb. 22 road game.
The Lions defeated the Sabers 47-34 in the quarterfinals.
Jake Antolick had eight of his 17 points in the first quarter as the Lions opened a 12-4 lead.
Lucas Filipek made four 3-pointers and scored 19 points while leading the Lions past the Eagles 52-48.
Antolick added 17 points.
The Lions took the lead by outscoring the Eagles, 13-6, in the third quarter to make it 36-33.
Class 4A boys
Top-seeded Scranton Prep set up a title game rematch with Valley View by beating Honesdale 57-43 and Wyoming Area 66-32 Feb. 18 and 21.
Brycen Martin scored 17 points to lead the win over Honesdale.
The Lackawanna Division 1 champion Cavaliers opened leads of 24-4 after one quarter, 45-13 at halftime and 61-21 going into the fourth quarter over the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 champion Warriors.
Packy Doherty had nine points in the first quarter and 16 of his 19 in the first half.
Martin hit all five of his free throws and finished with 13.
Class 4A girls
SCRANTON – Maya Jenkins scored a game-high 14 points to lead the state’s top-ranked Class 4A team, according to tribhssn.com, to a 63-27 victory over Nanticoke.
Jenkins was 6-for-11 from the floor, including 2-for-4 on 3-pointers. She also had three rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist.
Chloe Mamera, a 6-foot-1 freshman forward/center, came off the bench to add 12 points and Jenna Hillebrand added 11.
The Trojanettes kept things close early.
They led 3-1 on a 3-pointer by Marli Donahue and 6-3 on another by Kate Reed.
Scranton Prep answered with 11 straight points on two 3-pointers by Hillebrand, then five straight points by Jenkins, but Nanticoke got back within 14-10 at the quarter on a Baran three-point play.
Scranton Prep took control by scoring 13 straight points on the way to a 36-15 halftime lead.
