DALLAS — Much like the rest of their league mates in Division 1, the Dallas girls basketball team worked and fought but ultimately couldn’t overcome the power of Hazleton Area’s press.
The Cougars used the havoc of their defense to create open looks both at the rim and from three-point range, grinding down the Mountaineers to win 63-50, their 11th win in a row.
Hazleton Area completed the first turn in their league schedule without a blemish, winning their first seven league games in a manner much like they won at Dallas — with an intense defensive effort from whistle to whistle.
“Every game is a battle,” said Hazleton head coach Joe Gavio after the game. “Both teams played hard and I’m happy to come away with the win at this place, we’ve had problems winning here.”
Dallas came into Wednesday’s game right behind Hazleton, with just one Division 1 loss and a five-game winning streak to their credit.
There just wasn’t much room to operate for the Mountaineers, who had to empty the gas tank and use every second of the clock just to get the ball up court against the Cougars defense.
Hazleton didn’t have the greatest start themselves on offense, but freshman Kaitlyn Bindas was the difference: Bindas had 11 first-half points, including three three-pointers, to give her squad an early edge.
“Everybody played a great game, we were really shooting the ball well,” Bindas said. “Staying undefeated, it’s a great feeling but we’ve got to keep going.”
Without much offense beyond Bindas in the first half, the Cougars still found themselves in a tight game at the half, leading by just six points.
Dallas would cut the lead to four points on a few occasions early in the third quarter, but could draw no closer. For every Mountaineer bucket, or trip to the free throw line (Dallas was 13-for-14 from the stripe in the third quarter), Hazleton Area had an answer.
Plenty of those answers came from Alexis Reimold, the sophomore forward who had been held in check through the first half.
Reimold had just three points entering the third quarter, but knocked down a couple huge three-pointers and scored 12 points in the quarter, on her way to a team-high 17 for the night.
“I realized that I really needed to step it up,” Reimold said.
The Cougars were finally able to put the game away in the fourth quarter, with a 13-for-14 performance of their own at the free throw line to extend the lead out of Dallas’s reach.
True to Hazleton’s blueprint this year, the success of Bindas early and Reimold in the middle gave way to freshman Alexis Benyo in the fourth, scoring seven points in the final minutes.
Dallas was led by Molly Walsh with 13 points, and Elizabeth Viglone with 11 points. The Mountaineers shot 22-for-26 as a team from the line, the biggest factor in keeping them hanging around late into the game.
WVC Division 1 Girls Basketball
Hazleton Area 63, Dallas 50
HAZLETON AREA (63) — Bindas 5 2-2 15, Lagowy 0 0-0 0, Williams 0 0-0 0, Reimold 5 4-4 17, S. Shults 4 3-4 12, Benyo 4 3-4 11, Marolo 1 0-0 2, E. Shults 1 4-4 6, Eberts 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 16-18 63.
DALLAS (50) — Mizzer 1 2-2 4, Casey 4 3-4 11, DelGaudio 2 4-6 8, Walsh 2 8-8 13, Viglone 3 5-6 12,Wydra 1 0-0 2. Totals 13 22-26 50.
Hazleton Area`14`8`22`19 — 63
Dallas`9`7`20`14 — 50
Three-point goals: HAZ 7 (Bindas 3, Reimold 3, S. Shults). DAL 2 (Walsh, Casey).
