WILKES-BARRE TWP. – Jenna Hillebrand scored a game-high 21 points and joined Maya Jenkins for the game-breaking stretch as Scranton Prep pulled away for a 62-36 victory over Valley View Feb. 27 in the District 2 Class 4A girls basketball championship game at Mohegan Arena at Casey Plaza.
Hillebrand scored with two seconds left in the third quarter, then went 4-for-6 from the floor while adding 10 points in Scranton Prep’s 23-point fourth quarter.
The Abingtons resident finished 8-for-15 from the floor, 4-for-7 on 3-pointers and 1-for-2 from the line. She also grabbed six rebounds.
The title was the third straight for the Classics and seventh in the 10 years of finals at the arena, matching Susquehanna for the most by a girls team.
“It’s really exciting,” Hillebrand said. “It’s our last one on this floor as seniors. We wanted it to be special.
“It couldn’t have ended on a better note.”
The Classics (23-1) are ranked No. 1 in the state by triblive.com, a suburban Pittsburgh media outlet, after reaching the state final last season and losing to Blackhawk, the current No. 2 team.
Jenkins added 15 points, five assists and two blocked shots. Claire McGrath had nine points and five assists while Bella Dennebaum grabbed 11 rebounds.
Scranton Prep scored the game’s first seven points, five by Hillebrand. The Classics then ran off 14 straight points, beginning with McGrath’s 3-pointer five seconds before the first-quarter buzzer and capped by Jenkins’ second 3-pointer of the run for a 26-5 lead with 3:35 left in the first half.
Valley View fought back. The Cougars outscored the Classics 21-8 over the next 11 minutes and were within 34-26 when the third quarter neared its conclusion.
“We knew we had to stay calm and composed and just finish out the game,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins snapped Scranton Prep out of a rare 6:45 scoring drought in which Valley View had scored 12 straight points. Her strong drive in transition produced a three-point play.
Hillebrand scored the next five points, then Jenkins added two more fast-break points for a 10-0 run over the final 20.2 seconds of the third quarter and first 1:29 of the fourth.
Valley View did not get closer than 15 points again.
Jenkins added two more baskets, giving her nine points in the final 8:21.
Scranton Prep 63, Nanticoke 27
SCRANTON — Jenkins scored 14 points to lead Scranton Prep through the Feb. 22 semifinal against visiting Nanticoke.
Chloe Mamera, a 6-foot-1 freshman forward/center, came off the bench to add 12 points and Hillebrand added 11.
Nanticoke, which was led by Nevaeh Baran with 13 points, kept things close early.
The Trojanettes led 3-1 and 6-3.
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.
