H.S. Boys Basketball: Wyoming Area defeats shorthanded Nanticoke Area
Jan. 14—EXETER — Wyoming Area climbed to the top of the division on Tuesday night.
Now the job was to stay there Saturday afternoon against a divisional contender besieged by injuries.
The Warriors were able to do so, preventing Nanticoke Area from making much traction in the second half as they posted a 46-37 win in Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 boys basketball.
Wyoming Area improved to 3-0 in the division and 8-4 overall. Anthony DeLucca and Dane Schutter led the offense with 15 points each. Schutter also had nine rebounds. Tyler Sciandra had eight.
Wyoming Area defeated two-time defending divisional champion Holy Redeemer in triple overtime on Tuesday.
"That was certainly something we talked about after the Redeemer game and leading up to the game today," Wyoming Area coach Anthony Macario said. "About using that game to get in our heads the right way because it's very easy to let down after such a big win like we had the other night."
Nanticoke Area fell to 3-2 in the division and 6-9 overall.
Nanticoke Area's injuries started before the beginning of the season when starting guard Peyton Kepp was lost for the campaign because of a football injury. The Trojans were also minus starter RJ Brogan on Saturday afternoon, but the biggest missing piece no doubt was standout big man Jaidyn Johnson.
Johnson, a two-time Times Leader All-WVC selection in basketball and an all-state pick in football, was injured earlier in the week against Hanover Area. Nanticoke Area coach Zach Pientka didn't disclose the injury, but Johnson is expected to miss significant time.
Wyoming Area distanced itself from Nanticoke Area early in the fourth quarter. Anthony DeLucca opened with a runner and Brady Noone followed with a pair of inside baskets to bump the lead to 36-23.
Nanticoke Area cut the deficit to 38-30 on an inside basket by Ethan Spencer with 2:45 remaining. But like most of the game, the Trojans couldn't make a significant run to put a big dent into Wyoming Area's advantage.
"Wyoming Area is a great team," Pientka said. "They just came off a big win and we were going to come in here and give them a different look. The guys played hard, but (Wyoming Area) stepped up and made free throws late and took care of the game."
Gavin Turak and Liam Mullery scored 11 each for Nanticoke Area.
Wyoming Area 46, Nanticoke Area 37
NANTICOKE AREA (37) — PJ Remley 2 0-2 5, Gavin Turak 3 4-8 11, Quron Michel 1 0-0 2, Mullery 4 0-0 11, Mathias Mitchell 1 0-0 2, Ethan Spencer 3 0-0 6, Mike Stachowiak 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 4-10 37.
WYOMING AREA (46) — Tyler Sciandra 1 1-2 3, Anthony DeLucca 4 5-10 15, Brady Noone 2 3-4 7, Matt Rusinchak 2 0-0 6, Dane Schutter 5 5-6 15, Patrick Golden 0 0-0 0, Dan Feeney 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 14-22 46.
Nanticoke Area'5'12'6'14 — 37
Wyoming Area'11'11'8'16 — 46
Three-point goals — NA 5 (Remley, Turak, Mullery 3). WA 4 (DeLucca 2, Rusinchak 2).
