SCRANTON — Packy Doherty was named Tournament Most Valuable Player and Brycen Martin made the all-tournament when the Scranton Prep boys basketball team continued its tradition of success in the Lynett Memorial Tournament with its eighth title since 2013.
Max McGrath scored 20 points in Monday, Dec. 29’s championship game and Scranton Prep slowed down Dunmore’s high-powered offense enough to hand the Bucks their first loss of the season 77-63 in the championship game before a packed house at the Lackawanna College Student Union Center.
Scranton Prep has won a record 24 titles in the 73-year history of the event, but has lost in the first round each of the past two years.
Doherty had 15 points, a team-high eight rebounds and three assists, while Martin contributed 14 points along with team-highs of six assists and two steals.
“Guys delivered,” Cavaliers coach Larry Reagan said. “Brody Martin’s out there making plays; Packy Doherty is making plays; Chicky Skoff had some big ones; Jimmy Doherty starts coming out and making shots.”
McGrath went 6-for-7 in the first half, then made all four of his fourth-quarter shots to finish 10-for-12 from the floor.
“He’s vital to our success,” Reagan said. “When Max is playing at his best, which I still don’t think we’ve seen, we’re going to be really dangerous. He’s showing a little bit more of what he has in him. If he can keep that up, we’re going to have a really good year.”
Both teams had put on offensive shows in stunning Mercy Rule routs in the semifinals Saturday, Dec. 27. Scranton Prep raced out to a 30-7 lead after one quarter in its 73-37 rout of Scranton. Dunmore hit 17 shots from beyond the arc, scored 33 in the third quarter and flirted with the century mark while pummeling defending champion Holy Cross 96-54.
The fast pace continued into the championship game, but the teams combined to go 1-for-10 on 3-pointers in the first quarter and Scranton Prep held Dunmore to 8-for-31 (25.8 percent) for the game.
“We’ve been putting a huge emphasis on the defensive end of the floor,” Reagan said. “The 63 is a little more than we would have liked to have given up, but they’re such an explosive offense that compared to what they’ve been scoring, that’s probably actually a solid number.”
Skoff added 11 points and three assists in the win.
Scranton Prep broke away when Jimmy Doherty, a freshman, drained three straight 3s in a span of 1:45 as the Cavaliers scored nine of the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to complete a 13-1 run to a 58-45 lead.
Jimmy Clark, who hit 10 times from 3-point range in two games to make the all-tournament team, led four Dunmore players in double figures with 18 points.
Packy Doherty was the one who produced the Cavaliers’ scoring outburst in the semifinal.
Scranton Prep went 12-for-13 from the floor in the first quarter, including 5-for-5 on 3-pointers, four of them by Packy Doherty. He had 16 points in a 5½-minute stretch.
Packy Doherty finished with 20 points, McGrath added 11 points and 10 players scored at least three. Brody Martin had nine points, five steals and three assists.
The efficient offensive effort featured just four turnovers while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor and 56.3 percent from 3-point range.
Brayden Canavan led Dunmore’s semifinal win with 35 points by going 13-for-17.
Scranton’s Tony Battaglia topped that in the consolation game, setting school records by making 10 shots from 3-point range and totaling 47 points in a 73-51 win over Holy Cross.
