Dallas guard Darius Wallace gains control of the ball in a crowd during Wednesday night’s WVC semifinal win over Nanticoke Area at Wilkes-Barre Area High School.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Nanticoke Area’s Gavin Turak, center, looks for room to operate during the first quarter against Dallas guard Mike Cumbo.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas forward Nick Farrell knocks the ball away from Nanticoke Area’s Ibn Jordan-Thomas during the first quarter on Wednesday.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas guard Jude Nocito passes the ball as Nanticoke Area’s Caleb Butczynski defends in the second quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas forward Nick Farrell snags a rebound while fighting off two Nanticoke Area defenders on Wednesday.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
PLAINS TWP. — Dallas had fun Thursday night.
The joy arrived much later than the Mountaineers hoped as Nanticoke Area played them evenly — and dominated in spurts — for three quarters. But once Michael Bufalino opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, Dallas was on its way to a happy ending.
Dallas seized control in the final eight minutes to defeat Nanticoke Area 61-51 in a Wyoming Valley Conference boys basketball semifinal game at Wilkes-Barre Area High School.
“We played Dallas basketball in the fourth quarter,” said Dallas coach Mark Belenski, whose team outscored Nanticoke Area 21-11 in the final eight minutes. “The first three quarters we were a little sluggish, and that’s what winners do. They find a way to win. Very proud of their effort. They didn’t quit and played with a lot of energy.”
Division 1 champion Dallas (20-3) will play Division 2 champion Holy Redeemer (21-2) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Dallas for the WVC crown. Division 2 runner-up Nanticoke Area (15-8) will be off until next week when the Trojans will be the District 2 Class 4A playoffs.
The Mountaineers closed the third quarter strongly as Mike Cumbo took a steal coast-to-coast and Darius Wallace emerged from a chaotic scramble for the ball with a basket, tying the score 40-40 entering the fourth quarter.
Bufalino’s trey to start the fourth was a good sign as Dallas was 3-of-20 from behind the arc in the previous three quarters. Nanticoke Area rallied from the mild deficit to take a 44-43 lead on an inside basket by Ibn Jordan-Thomas at 7:37 and a pair of free throws by Jaidyn Johnson at 6:51.
The Trojans, though, didn’t hit a field goal for the next six minutes. Dallas then revved up its high-powered offense for the first time all game, going on an 11-1 run for a 54-45 lead with just over two minutes left.
Wallace, who had a game-high 19 points, finished off Nanticoke Area with a three-point play and a dunk to make it 61-48 with 58 seconds left.
“It was fun,” Wallace said. “We just picked it up defensively, got every loose ball and were definitely more intense on both sides of the ball.”
Dallas needed to be to avoid an upset.
Nanticoke Area led 28-24 at halftime as Jordan-Thomas crashed the boards and Liam Mullery hit a couple 3-pointers, including one at the buzzer to end the half.
Dallas’ mantra for the second half was simplistic.
“Play defense, get a rebound and move the ball up court,” Belenski said. “It was almost like the Wilkes-Barre game here a year ago. We couldn’t get a rebound. Kudos to them. They played well, but we played a little bit better.”
Cumbo was the hot hand for Dallas in the third quarter, scoring nine of his 13 points. The defense began to slow down Nanticoke Area except for Jordan-Thomas, who had nine of his team’s 12 points in the period.
WVC Semifinals
Dallas 61, Nanticoke Area 51
NANTICOKE AREA (51) — Butczynski 0 0-0 0, Turak 1 4-8 6, Mullery 3 0-0 9, Johnson 6 4-7 17, Jordan-Thomas 8 1-3 17, Collins 1 0-0 2, Williams 0 0-0 0, Brogan 0 0-0 0, Remley 0 0-0 0, Spencer 0 0-0 0, Florian 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 9-18 51.
DALLAS (61) — Nocito 5 0-0 10, Wallace 7 3-3 19, Bufalino 6 3-3 17, Faux 0 0-0 0, Cumbo 4 2-2 11, Timinski 0 0-0 0, O’Donnell 0 0-0 0, Zapoticky 0 0-0 0, Karosa 0 0-0 0, Dolan 0 0-0 0, Farrell 0 0-0 0, Williams 2 0-2 4. Totals 24 8-10 61.
Nanticoke Area`14`14`12`11 — 51
Dallas`15`9`16`21 — 61
Three-point goals — NA 4 (Mullery 3, Johnson). DAL 5 (Wallace 2, Bufalino 2, Cumbo)
