After slipping as low as fourth place with consecutive losses early in January, the Scranton Prep girls basketball team returned to – or at least close to – its usual spot in the standings.
With six straight victories to end January and another on Feb. 1, the Classics moved to the top of the race for the number-one seed in the District 2 Class 4A playoffs and climbed into a three-way tie for first place in Division 1 of the Lackawanna League.
Whether Scranton Prep wins a ninth straight division title could hinge on the next-to-last week of the regular season and a potential playoff to break a tie at the top. The Classics were scheduled to face Valley View, which was a game out of first place, and Abington Heights, which is tied for the lead, Feb. 3 and 6.
North Pocono, which had joined Valley View in handing Scranton Prep those back-to-back defeats, is the other team that was in the three-way tie for the division lead through Feb. 1
Shannon Bestrycki picked North Pocono apart from the corner when the Classics avenged the earlier loss by winning 52-36 at home Jan. 30.
Bestrycki hit six 3-pointers while scoring 22 points.
The Classics followed that up with a 46-38 victory over Scranton to begin February.
Among the earlier wins was a 47-34 triumph over visiting Abington Heights Jan. 12 to break the two-game slide and begin the winning streak.
The Classics jumped out to a 14-8 lead on the Lady Comets after one quarter. After the teams played the middle quarters on even terms, Scranton Prep put the game away with a 17-10 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore Chloe Mamera, the team’s season scoring leader, led the way with 19 points.
Emma Coleman led Abington Heights with 13 points and Lily Scoblick added 12.
Along with the eight straight division titles, Scranton Prep has won seven District 2 championships and come within one point on a late basket in the title game of the other.
