DALLAS — Through most of last season, a young and inexperienced Dallas girls basketball team took a lot of lumps.
Looks like they’re ready to give a few back.
Nikki Wren led a balanced scoring attack with 13 points Monday, Kendra Saba and Sara Lojewski evenly split 18 more and the Mountaineers cruised past Lake-Lehman, 56-36 in the annual Black & Blue Rivalry Game at Dallas High School.
“It is a rival game. I think it’s a friendly rivalry,” Dallas coach Kelly Johnson said. “We’re very respectful of Lehman’s program. The kids play on travel teams together.
“A win means a lot to us.”
Especially one that comes so early in the nonconference season.
Dallas won two of its first three league games a year ago, but needed a two-game winning streak late in the season to finish 4-10 during a rebuilding year.
And while the Mountaineers still aren’t loaded, or packed with senior stalwarts, they do return a ton of game-tested players.
“We struggled a lot last year with a very young team,” Johnson said. “We were able to get younger girls some varsity experience. That’s helping us this year.”
It nearly helped Dallas rally back from a big deficit in the finals of the Spartan Tournament two weeks ago, and it helped the Mountaineers establish early control Monday.
Lojewski hit five of her nine points in the opening quarter and Saba added four of her nine as Dallas jumped out to a 13-4 lead.
Then it was Olivia Johnson’s turn, as she charged off the bench to bury three 3-point field goals – two in the second quarter and another in the third – helping the Mountaineers build a 12-point halftime advantage.
And Wren – one of two seniors on the Dallas squad – was steady throughout, hitting seven points in the first half and six more in the second as Dallas expanded its lead to 20 points.
“I’m really comfortable with this group in terms of there being balance,” Johnson said. “We have kids who can shoot the 3 from the outside, kids who can dribble the ball, and our forwards are capable of doing things. It’s the definition of being a team that plays like a team.
“We don’t have one superstar the rest of the team revolves around,” Johnson continued. “We have kids who come out, and any one of them can rise to the top on any given night.
“It makes it difficult for you to defend.”
Lehman, meanwhile, is still trying to recover from the graduation from the school’s all-time leading scorer Cayle Spencer, who’s now playing for King’s College. The Black Knights were held scoreless from nearly four minutes at the start, managed just two baskets in the opening quarter and never seriously challenged.
Mackenzie Love led the Black Knights with nine points and Molly Storz banked in a couple of treys in the third quarter to keep things relatively interesting for Lehman.
But six different Dallas players scored a basket and two others hit a free throw as the Mountaineers iced victory in the final quarter.
“A little sloppy at the beginning of the game,” Johnson said. “But we made some adjustments, sped up the ball movement.
“They wanted to win.”
Nanticoke Area 69, Susquehanna 22
Gianna Roberts was 7 for 8 from the foul line and had nine field goals as she scored 25 points to lead Nanticoke past visiting Susquehanna. Kayla Aufeiro had 14 points while Amber Grohowski added 11 of her own for the Trojans.
Wyoming Valley West 51, Scranton Prep 44
Colleen Cwalina tallied 15 points while Erin Gibbons scored 14, including two 3-pointers, as Wyoming Valley West defeated Scranton Prep.
Collectively the Spartains were 14 for 23 from the line and had six different players score points during the game.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Dallas 56, Lake-Lehman 36
LAKE-LEHMNAN (36) — Miranda Parry 0 0-0 0, Mackenzie Love 3 3-6 9, Molly Storz 3 0-0 8, Janelle Cawley 0 0-0 0, Savannah Purdy 1 0-0 2, Cassie Konopki 1 0-0 2, Devin Lindley 2 0-5 4, Corina Scoblick 1 0-0 2, Madison Borum 2 1-3 5, Carlyn Blight 0 0-0 0, Haley Kubiski 1 0-0 3, Lauren Curner 0 1-2 1, Kyra Grzynski 0 0-2 0. Totals 14 5-18 36.
DALLAS (56) — Kendra Saba 4 0-0 9, Maddie Kelly 1 4-6 6, Sara Lojewski 4 1-3 9, Courtney Hoats 0 0-0 0, Nikki Wren 6 1-3 13, Hanna Johnson 1 0-0 2, Olivia Johnson 3 0-0 9, Maria Bednar 1 0-0 2, Leah Gorr 1 0-0 2, Hannah Doran 0 1-2 1, Sydney Strickland 0 0-0 0, Sam Kern 0 0-0 0, Emily Farrell 0 1-2 1, Angelina Allen 0 0-0 0, Sam Banks 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 8-16 56.
Lake-Lehman`4`10`12`10`—`36
Dallas`13`13`16`14`—`56
Three-point goals — LL 3 (Storz 2, Kubiski); DAL 4 (O. Johnson 3, Saba).
Nanticoke 69, Susquehanna 22
SUSQUEHANNA (22) — DJ Decker 2 0-0 4, Lauren Soder 2 0-0 5, Alyssa Hudal 0 0-0 0, Haley Aldrich 1 0-0 3, Gabby Cina 0 3-7 3, Beth Maby 1 0-0 2, Alyssa Jweney 2 0-0 4, Taylor Williams 0 0-0 0, Kaylin Tyynoski 0 1-2 1, Mackenzie Rhone 0 0-0 0, Taylor Millard 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 4-9 22.
NANTICOKE AREA (69) — Alyssa Lewis 1 0-0 2, Miranda Dunn 0 0-0 0, Kayla Aufeiro 6 0-0 14, Alexis Pyzia 2 0-0 4, Amber Grohowski 4 2-4 11, Jordan Bavitz 2 0-1 4, Maddy Grilz 1 0-0 2, Taylor Zabrenski 0 0-0 0, Chaquanna Zendarski 2 3-3 7, Gianna Roberts 9 7-8 25, Katie Butczynski 0 0-0 0, Dody Hornlein 0 0-0 0. Totals 27 12-16 69.
Susquehanna`5`7`6`4`—`22
Nanticoke`24`17`18`10`—`69
Three-point goals — SUSQ 2 (Soder 1, Aldrich 1); NAN 3 (Aufeiro 2, Grohowski 1).
Wyoming Valley West 51, Scranton Prep 44
SCRANTON PREP (44) — Julie Sirotnak 3 3-4 10, Calista Kline 4 0-0 9, Abby Schroth 0 1-3 1, Tiffany Powell 4 3-4 11, Jill Paulus 4 5-6 13. Totals 15 12-17 44.
WYOMING VALLEY WEST (51) — Erin Gibbons 3 6-8 14, Amanda Scarcella 3 0-0 6, Kiersten Wiedwald 0 3-4 3, Gabbie Smicherko 2 3-6 8, Colleen Cwalina 7 1-2 15, Jordan Reilly 2 1-3 5. Totals 17 14-23 51.
Scranton Prep`13`8`14`9`—`44
Wyoming Valley West`11`11`13`16`—`51
Three-point goals — SCRP 2 (Sirotnak 1, Kline 1); WVW 3 (Gibbons 2, Smicherko 1).
