Scranton basketball scene is hot due to local rivalry

The Scranton boys basketball team only has two setbacks on the year.

Any loss stings a bit. A setback handed by a local rival, a city rival nonetheless, stings longer.

One of the Knights' defeats was to West Scranton. Since then, it's been all Scranton in the rivalry where the two squads are separated by less than three miles.

According to the Scranton Times-Tribune, Terry Turner hit 10 of 15 from the field and netted a game-high 29 points as the Knights got past the Invaders 60-53. The game was played at the University of Scranton to accommodate the overflow crowd expected for the event.

The two squads have already faced each other three times this year. West Scranton defeated Scranton on the Knights' home turf in first-half play of the Lackawanna League. But the two rivals had a one-game playoff for the half title; one in which Scranton avenged the loss.

Now, it's the Knights in control of their own destiny for the second-half crown.

"Emotions were really high," Turner told the Times-Tribune. "We wanted to come out and show them that we were the better team. We wanted to be aggressive defensively, and execute offensively. It's a big win for us. We have to just keep getting better and keep progressing."

Turner stepped up his game another notch.

The paper reported the junior scored 17 points in the second half and 10 in the final stanza. West Scranton trailed by three going into the fourth quarter, but was outscored 17-13 in the final quarter.

"He's one of the best players I have ever seen," West head coach Jack Lyons said of Turner to the newspaper. "He does so many great things. He rebounds, he passes. He is a fantastic player with a tremendous future."

Malcolm Sweeting and Tim Langan combined for 33 of West's 53 points, while Tim Fisch hit two 3-pointers and netted 15 for the Knights.

"This is a great win in a playoff atmosphere," Fisch told the paper.

STATE COLLEGE GIRLS WIN IN OVERTIME
After struggling through the month of January, the State College Lady Little Lions needed a big win to start a surge to the playoffs. That came Monday night when the Centre County club rallied from a five-point deficit with 1:34 left en route to a 60-57 victory over Forest Hills, according to the Centre Daily Times. According to the paper, State College lost five of its last seven heading into the showdown with Forest Hills, ranked in the top 10 of the state in the Double-A classification. "It's been a very long month," State head coach Bethany Irwin told the CDT. "I am very thankful we're out of the month of January. Now we've had two games we've played consistent." The Lady Rangers led 40-30 in the third quarter before the Lady Little Lions completed the rally. Courtney Nellis had a double-double of 18 points and 19 rebounds and Gina Torretti chipped in with 16 points, the newspaper said.

DISTRICT TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS BEGIN IN WRESTLING
While the individual gold won't be handed out in Hershey until March, team glory takes center stage as teams across the state begin the march toward the Giant Center for the PIAA Team Duals. It's the Class AAA race that always captures top attention. Although it will be hard to top last year's epic Central Mountain-Central Dauphin semifinal which set the wrestling world abuzz both statewide and nationally, there are plenty of quality teams ready. It beings with Central Dauphin (Harrisburg), the reigning PIAA team champ, and currently ranked No. 15 nationally according to Intermat Wrestling. Some of the best battles will take place in the eastern half of the state. Easton and Nazareth, both ranked in the top 25 nationally, will collide for a District 11 title. Canon-McMillan (Canonsburg) and Central Catholic (Pittsburgh) should be standing tall to capture a WPIAL crown. And in District 6, it could be a battle between the newcomer and stronghold as Westmont Hilltop (Johnstown), moving up from Double-A, could meet up with three-time defending district champ Central Mountain (Mill Hall). The team championship runs from Feb. 10 through Feb. 12 in Hershey.

HUGHESVILLE SEES SHAKE-UP WITH COACHES
One of District 4's most successful programs on the gridiron and on the diamond, Hughesville, will see new faces in 2011. Football coach Rich Reichner resigned as the team's coach, while former Loyalsock manager Casey Waller was named coach of the baseball program, the Williamsport Sun-Gazette reported. Reichner resigned for personal reasons, citing he would like to spend more time with his children. The paper reported that the coach had a record of 59-29 since 2003 and captured league titles in 2005 and 2009. Waller, an assistant coach at the school, had a successful run while at neighboring Loyalsock. While there, the Lancers won three district titles and a state championship in 2008. The Sun-Gazette reported Waller had a 114-26 record while manager at Loyalsock.

BALD EAGLE AREA CONTINUES HISTORIC RUN
The Bald Eagle Area (Wingate) girls basketball team kept its historic journey alive – and kept pulses racing in Wingate. Again, it was Brittany Butterworth playing the role of hero. The senior guard hit a key 3-pointer in a 41-38 victory over state honorable-mention team Central Martinsburg, and followed it up with an encore Monday. She hit a trifecta with 1:28 left, breaking a 41-all tie, and keeping her team perfect with a 47-41 victory over Central Mountain in Bald Eagle Township. BEA is 17-0 with five games remaining. A Friday night game at Lewistown could determine a Mountain League Nittany Division title. But it was all about Butterworth's shot. "I was really frustrated, and I know everyone else was. The calls weren't going our way, and the shots weren't going our way." Butterworth had 11 points, while CM freshman Sarah Jensen had a game-high 17 points.

Tom Fox is sports editor at The Lock Haven (Pa.) Express and covers Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania for MaxPreps. He can be reached at tfox@lockhaven.com.