H.S. Boys Basketball: Pittston Area defeats Abington Heights, heads to D2-5A title game

YATESVILLE — A big key to Pittston Area’s success this season has been finding the hot hand each game.

Usually it’s been 1,000-point scorer JJ Walsh, although the other four starters have taken their turns at the forefront.

Dominic Jannuzzi was the guy Friday night. Jannuzzi scored a game-high 14 points — with six coming on a personal run in the second quarter — as Pittston Area held off Abington Heights 43-36 in a District 2 Class 5A boys basketball semifinal game.

“It makes it extremely difficult,” Jannuzzi said of having so many capable scorers. “Obviously, they have to put their best defender on our leading scorer JJ. He’s something different. Everybody is talking about these other guys, but JJ he’s the real deal.

“Then (Anthony) Cencetti, Jack (Locker), we can all score. But it’s whoever’s night. Tonight I was feeling it. Cencetti had some layups, Jack hit that big three when we needed it. Even Ethan (Ghannam), he hit the game-winner against Hazleton. Anybody can score.”

Jannuzzi also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.

“Awesome. Awesome,” Pittston Area coach Al Semenza said. “I told him at halftime, ‘They can’t stop you. Just start shooting the ball with two hands instead of that scoop shot.’ ”

The top-seeded Patriots (19-4) advanced to the championship game at 8 p.m. Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena. They’ll play the winner of Saturday’s semifinal game between third-seeded Wallenpaupack (18-5) and second-seeded North Pocono (17-5).

Fourth-seeded Abington Heights ended its season at 15-8. The Comets made it to the title game last season, only to have to forfeit to Crestwood because of COVID-19 issues.

While Abington won eight consecutive district championship from 2012-2019 — and a few others before that — Pittston Area will be going for only the second district championship in school history. It last won the title in 1978. The school was founded in 1966.

Pittston Area took the lead for good early as Cencetti’s three-point play resulted in a 5-3 lead near the midway portion of the first quarter. Abington knocked the deficit down to one midway through the second period, but Jannuzzi scored six consecutive points. The first two came on a short inside cut to the basket, something the Patriots exploited several times.

“They’re a good 3-point shooting team and didn’t even have to shoot threes,” Abington Heights coach Ken Bianchi said. “They were getting all layups.”

Another burst in the third quarter where Jannuzzi scored twice and fired a pass inside to Cencetti for another bucket made it 34-25. Cencetti’s points also came on a quick inside move.

“I thought we executed the offense really well tonight,” Semenza said. “We had a couple different sets we ran that were really effective.”

The Patriots looked like they were going to take control with 3:35 remaining in the game when Ghannam scored inside off a pass from Walsh for a 39-29 advantage. Abington, though, put on one final burst to try to save its season.

A 3-pointer by Jamison Bessoir moved the Comets within 39-36 with 1:26 to play. Pittston Area, though, worked the clock and scored the game’s final four points.

District 2 Class 5A Semifinals

Pittston Area 43, Abington Heights 36

ABINGTON HEIGHTS (36) — Will Marion 5 2-4 13, Dominic Selevinis 0 0-2 0, Ryan Nealon 1 0-0 2, Jamison Bessoir 4 0-0 11, Carson Kelleher 2 0-0 4, Mason Fevor 3 0-0 6, Bryce Florey 0 0-2 0, Mike Marion 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 2-8 36.

PITTSTON AREA (43) — JJ Walsh 3 0-0 6, Ethan Ghannam 2 1-2 5, Jack Locker 2 0-0 5, Anthony Cencetti 5 3-3 13, Dominic Jannuzzi 5 3-4 14, Jack Long 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 6-9 43.

Abington Heights`10`8`9`9 — 36

Pittston Area`14`9`11`9 — 43

Three-point goals — AH 4 (W.Marion, Bessoir 3). PA 2 (Locker, Jannuzzi).