Dallas’ Jack Dale looks to the basket after pulling in a rebound with Wilkes-Barre Area players Quran Brooks (1), Tahir Bolden and Mike Keating (5) around him.
                                 Fred Adams | For Times Leader

Dallas’ Jack Dale looks to the basket after pulling in a rebound with Wilkes-Barre Area players Quran Brooks (1), Tahir Bolden and Mike Keating (5) around him.

Fred Adams | For Times Leader

<p>Wilkes-Barre Area’s Achilles Fuentes grabs a loose ball as Dallas’ Jack Dale slides in to fight for control in the first quarter.</p>
                                 <p>Fred Adams | For Times Leader</p>

Wilkes-Barre Area’s Achilles Fuentes grabs a loose ball as Dallas’ Jack Dale slides in to fight for control in the first quarter.

Fred Adams | For Times Leader

<p>Dallas guard Jude Nocito pushes into the paint as Wilkes-Barre Area’s Davis Jannuzzi defends.</p>
                                 <p>Fred Adams | For Times Leader</p>

Dallas guard Jude Nocito pushes into the paint as Wilkes-Barre Area’s Davis Jannuzzi defends.

Fred Adams | For Times Leader

<p>Dallas guard Joey Nocito forces his way between Wilkes-Barre Area’s Achilles Fuentes (20) and Quran Brooks (1) during the first quarter.</p>
                                 <p>Fred Adams | For Times Leader</p>

Dallas guard Joey Nocito forces his way between Wilkes-Barre Area’s Achilles Fuentes (20) and Quran Brooks (1) during the first quarter.

Fred Adams | For Times Leader

<p>Wilkes-Barre Area’s Quran Brooks (1) defends Dallas guard Kael Berry during the first quarter.</p>
                                 <p>Fred Adams | For Times Leader</p>

Wilkes-Barre Area’s Quran Brooks (1) defends Dallas guard Kael Berry during the first quarter.

Fred Adams | For Times Leader

DALLAS TWP. — Two things tightened up Tuesday night — Wilkes-Barre Area’s defense and the Division 1 title chase.

The Wolfpack held Dallas to one of its lowest offense outputs of the season as they defeated the first-place Mountaineers 53-44 in a Wyoming Valley Conference boys basketball game.

Dallas fell to 7-2 in Division 1 and 13-6 overall. WBA improved to 7-3 in the division and 11-8 overall. Pittston Area also moved to 7-3.

Dallas won the first meeting 57-49 on Jan. 7, leading wire-to-wire after bombarding in five 3-pointers in the first quarter. The Mountaineers had just three baskets behind the arc Tuesday and none in the second half.

“We haven’t gotten in a rhythm the last two games,” said Dallas coach Mark Belenski, whose team suffered consecutive losses for the first time this season. “We’re search, we’re young. We have to find that and it starts tomorrow in practice.”

Freshman Joey Nocito picked up the Dallas offense in the second quarter, scoring nine of his 11 points. The Mountaineers closed out the third quarter behind Jude Nocito with a 10-0 run to tie the score 36-36.

Aside from that, Dallas struggled for continuity on offense. The 44 points were the Mountaineers second-lowest total of the season. They defeated Warrior Run 40-28 on Dec. 27 in a non-conference game.

“They have a lot of good players and a lot of good shooters,” WBA coach Jim Lavan said. “The Nocito boys, (Tyce) Mason can shoot it. Even (Pat) Flanagan can shoot it. They were hot early (last time). The challenge today was we had to come out swinging because the last time they came out swinging, throwing the first punch and had more energy than us.”

Lavan credited Quran Brooks for providing energy defensively. Although he was scoreless, Brooks had seven rebounds.

As for the WBA offense, the duo of David Jannuzzi and Mike Keating provided it once again. Jannuzzi finished with 21 points, scoring 12 in the final quarter and closing out the game from the foul line in the final minute. Keating had 13, including seven in the first quarter as the Wolfpack took a 14-8 lead.

WBA guard Achilles Fuentes, who didn’t start the first meeting, turned in a solid performance on both ends of the court. His consecutive layups off turnovers gave WBA its first double-digit lead, 36-26 at 3:50 of the third quarter.

Wilkes-Barre Area 53, Dallas 44

WILKES-BARRE AREA (53) — Quran Brooks 0 0-0 0, David Jannuzzi 7 6-7 21, Mike Keating 4 4-4 13, Achilles Fuentes 3 1-2 7, Jordany Rodriguez 3 0-2 6,Jacob Johnson 2 0-0 6, Tahir Bolden 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 11-15 53.

DALLAS (44) — Jude Nocito 4 2-2 11, Joey Nocito 5 1-3 11, Jack Dale 1 0-0 3, Pat Flanagan 3 4-4 10, Tyce Mason 1 0-0 3, Kael Berry 2 2-3 6, Max Scatton 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 9-12 44.

Wilkes-Barre Area`14`14`8`17 — 53

Dallas`8`16`12`8 — 44

Three-point goals — WBA 4 (Johnson 2, Jannuzzi, Keating); DAL 3 (Ju. Nocito, Dale, Mason)