Hazleton Area’s Kaitlyn Bindas works her way inside as Dallas’ Caitlyn Mizzer pursues in the second quarter, Bindas finished with a game-high 28 points.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Molly Walsh (24) of Dallas fights for control of the ball with Hazleton Area’s Alexis Riemold in the first quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Hazleton Area’s Alexis Reimold tries for a basket after a rebound while Dallas’ Brianna Casey defends in the first quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Caitlyn Mizzer (left) and Hazleton Area’s Miranda Chupela chase a loose ball in the first quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Caitlyn Mizzer grabs a rebound away from Hazleton Area’s Mariah Marolo and Miranda Chupela (32) during the first quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
DALLAS TWP. — Hazleton Area took care of one unbeaten team on Monday and then the final undefeated team on Thursday.
Neither victory was shocking.
Kaitlyn Bindas led a trio of players in double figures with a game-high 28 points as Hazleton Area defeated Dallas 69-52 in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 girls basketball game.
Hazleton Area (4-0 Div. 1, 11-1 overall) took over sole possession of first place. Mariah Marolo scored 15 and Alexis Reimold added 11. The defense forced 26 turnovers in the first three quarters.
Dallas (2-1 Div. 1, 12-1) was the last team to defeat Hazleton Area in a Division 1 regular-season game, with that win coming at the end of the 2023-24 season. The Mountaineers were at a disadvantage from the onset Thursday. Odessa Kanton, a 6-foot-3 sophomore averaging about 13 points, didn’t play because of an injury suffered against Lake-Lehman on Tuesday.
“It’s rough,” Dallas coach Vince Bucciarelli said. “You play three games in a week and I have three games next week and a game Saturday.”
Hazleton Area played Monday against undefeated Crestwood. The Cougars prevailed 63-53 against their rival in a game that was televised and played before a packed house.
“We called this. We said this could be a trap game,” Hazleton Area coach Joe Gavio said. “That was a big game, but what motivated them — and I hate to say it — is they look at these rankings and see Dallas is ahead of us.
“It’s always motivation to take out two teams ahead of us when they are both undefeated and at their gym.”
Hazleton Area took the lead on the third basket of the game and never surrendered it. Dallas was within 22-15 midway through the second quarter when Molly Walsh, who had a team-high 27 points, scored on a fastbreak.
Hazleton Area, though, went on a 10-3 run to close out the half. The Mountaineers made some mild progress in the third quarter behind Walsh and Caitlyn Mizzer, who finished with 15 points, but Hazleton Area kept responding with small bursts.
Marolo and Bindas led a final run in the third to increase the lead to 61-36 entering the fourth quarter.
Hazleton Area 69, Dallas 52
HAZLETON AREA (69) — Mariah Marolo 6 1-2 15, Sophia Benyo 2 0-0 4, Juliana Silva 0 0-0 0, Hannah Matyas 0 0-0 0, Alexandra Santiago 0 0-0 0, Sofia Rodgers 0 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Bindas 11 2-2 28, Addision Fritz 1 0-0 2, Molly Temchatin 2 0-1 5, Kayla Lagowy 1 1-2 3, Alexis Reimold 3 5-6 11, Miranda Chupela 0 1-4 1, Meadow Pavlick 0 0-0 0, Anna Shafer 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 10-17 69.
DALLAS (52) — Malaysia Shaw 1 1-2 3, Jacie Rollins 0 0-0 0, Caitlyn Mizzer 7 1-1 15, Mia DelGaudio 0 0-0 0, Zoey Sutzko 0 2-2 2, Lyla Wydra 1 1-1 3, Peyton Strobel 0 0-0 0, Riley Samanas 0 1-2 1, Brianna Casey 0 1-2 1, Lucy Gibson 0 0-0 0, Molly Walsh 8 10-16 27, Brooklyn Rogaski 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 17-26 52.
Hazleton Area`15`17`29`8 — 69
Dallas`6`12`18`16 — 52
Three-point goals: HA 7 (Marolo 2, Bindas 4, Temchatin). DAL 1 (Walsh).
