Dallas’ Michael Bufalino puts up a shot as Pittston Area’s Jake Long defends during Friday night’s game.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Mike Cumbo scores on a drive as Pittston Area’s Ethan Clarke defends.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Cameron Faux puts up a jump shots. Faux scored 10 points off the bench.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Jude Nocito gets past Pittston Area’s Matt Walter for a layup.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Nick Williams slams home a dunk in the third quarter while teammate Darius Wallace watches.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
DALLAS TWP. — Dallas moved a step closer to the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 boys basketball title Friday night.
Now the trick is not to stumble next week. If the Mountaineers played like they did in the showdown against Pittston Area, that might not be a major concern.
Dallas grabbed control in the second quarter and was never threatened as the Mountaineers defeated Pittston Area 70-47 in a battle for divisional supremacy.
Dallas (11-1 Div. 1, 18-2 overall) took over sole possession of first place with two games to play. Pittston Area (10-2, 14-5) slid back to second place. The Mountaineers, though, have two tough road games remaining next week at Crestwood and Hazleton Area.
“It’s not over. There are no easy nights,” Dallas coach Mark Belenski said. “If you’re not ready, you get beat. Ask Wilkes-Barre Area. They beat us.”
Pittston Area’s games are against Tunkhannock and Wyoming Valley West, both teams in the bottom half of the eight-team division. However, Tunkhannock can light it up behind the arc and Valley West is 5-4 after an 0-10 start.
And then there is Dallas, a team Pittston Area can see again in the WVC Championship tournament or the District 2 Class 5A playoffs.
“I got to figure out a way to get us to be able to compete with them,” Pittston Area coach Al Semenza said. “My guys have played hard all year. I don’t think a lot of people thought we’d be in this position, but we are and we still got a shot. They can stumble.
“The big thing is for my guys to win the next two games because I told them as bad as we feel it would be a lot worse if we find out Dallas got upset and we lose.”
The Mountaineers demonstrated why they are the WVC’s highest scoring team with 65.4 points per game.
Reserve Cameron Faux started the rout with a couple basket early in the second quarter. Jude Nocito’s 3-pointer and Darius Wallace’s floater made it 26-13 before half the period’s time had elapsed. They closed the first half with a 7-0 run, the final four points coming off two of Pittston Area’s eight turnovers in the quarter.
“We got up and the score at halftime was almost exactly what it was at their place,” Belenski said. “I felt pretty good about it because when we want to run we can run and it’s our gym. I felt confident at halftime.”
Dallas immediately built on the 36-21 to start the third quarter. Mike Cumbo hit a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer and Nick Williams made a steal and finished off the play with a dunk. A pair of baskets by Wallace and a 3-pointer by Faux gave Dallas its biggest lead, 48-23 with 4:25 left in the third.
Pittston Area didn’t help matters. The Patriots had 19 turnovers and shot 13-of-36 through three quarters. Even three fourth-quarter 3-pointers by Silvio Giardina, who finished with a game-high 21 points, barely put a dent into the deficit.
Dallas 70, Pittston Area 47
PIITSTON AREA (47) — Burnett 1 0-0 3, Giardina 7 1-1 21, Long 3 1-1 7, Ivey 0 0-0 0, Barbieri 0 0-0 0, Walter 4 0-1 8, Clarke 1 0-0 2, McGarry 0 0-0 0, Lynn 1 0-0 2, Bilbow 0 0-0 0, Cencetti 2 0-1 4. Totals 19 2-4 47.
DALLAS (70) — Nocito 3 0-0 7, Jones 0 0-0 0, Timinski 1 0-0 3, O’Donnell 1 0-0 3, Zapoticky 1 0-0 2, Wallace 5 3-4 15, Bufalino 4 0-0 8, Faux 4 0-0 10, Cumbo 5 0-0 14, Dolan 1 0-0 2, Farrell 0 2-2 2, Williams 2 0-0 4. Totals 27 5-6 70.
Pittston Area`10`11`10`16 — 47
Dallas`15`21`16`18 — 70
Three-point goals — PA 7 (Brunett, Giardinia 6). DAL 11 (Nocito, Timinski, O’Donnell, Wallace 2, Faux 2, Cumbo 4).
