Caitlyn Mizzer of Dallas moves the ball as Wallenpaupack’s Abby Cykosky defends in the first quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Riley Samanas reaches for a loose ball in the second quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Odessa Kanton looks to the basket as Wallenpaupack’s Lilly Mancino guards in the first quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Brianna Casey brings the ball down court in the first quarter as Wallenpaupack’s Lillian Williams pursues.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
Dallas’ Mia DelGaudio pushes between Wallenpaupack defenders Ashley Vanderputten (34) and Abby Cykosky (13) in the second quarter.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
DALLAS TWP. — A two-week layoff before a playoff game certainly isn’t ideal. And while second-seeded Dallas showed some effects on one end of the court Wednesday night, they showed little on the other.
The Mountaineers clamped down on defense in the second and third quarters and did enough on offense to defeat seventh-seeded Wallenpaupack 45-22 in a District 2 Class 5A girls basketball quarterfinal game.
Dallas (20-3) will host third-seeded North Pocono (19-4) at 1 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals. A victory will send the Mountaineers back to the championship game at Mohegan Arena, but it will be the first time senior Molly Walsh will step on that court.
Walsh was the Times Leader Player of the Year in 2024 and scored her 1,000th point this season. However, she missed last season with an injury.
“It’s extremely important, especially it being my senior year and me being out a year,” Walsh said. “It’s very important for us to win and get there.”
Walsh scored 10 points Wednesday after averaging 18.4 during the season. Mia DelGaudio and Odessa Kanton had 12 each as the Mountaineers finished below their regular-season average of 55.7 points per game.
The defense, though, forced 11 turnovers in the second quarter as Dallas began to ease away. Another strong effort in the third allowed the Mountaineers to outscore Wallenpaupack 23-10 in the middle quarters.
At one point, Wallenpaupack (8-15) went over 10 minutes without scoring in that span.
“We’re usually a second-half team,” DelGaudio said. “Once we went into the locker room, coach was like you need to come out and go hard.
“We weren’t playing to the best of our ability. So in the second half, we all came together and got it done.”
Dallas built a 41-20 lead before the midway point of the fourth quarter as DelGaudio and Caitlyn Mizzer converted turnovers into layups early on. The reserves played out the final four minutes.
Wallenpaupack trailed 10-8 after one quarter and 12-11 when Abby Vanderputten hit a 3-pointer at 6:38 of the second. The Buckhorns had just four more field goals the rest of the game.
“This first game, the last four years we’ve played in it, we’re so rusty in that first half,” Dallas coach Vince Bucciarelli said. “Even though my younger kids are pretty good, it’s not what’s going on here.”
Lily Mancino had a strong game on the boards for Wallenpaupack with 11 rebounds.
District 2 Class 5A Quarterfinals
Dallas 45, Wallenpauack 22
WALLENPAUPACK (22) — Fiona Shanaberger 2 1-2 5, Abby Cykosky 0 0-0 0, Lillian Williams 2 0-0 4, Lily Mancino 1 0-3 2, Abby Vanderputten 2 0-0 6, Natalie George 0 0-0 0, Kathryn Williams 0 0-0 0, Sophie Fontano 1 1-2 3, Laura Posdon 0 0-0 0, Victoria Latek 0 0-0 0. Totals 8 4-9 22.
DALLAS (45) — Caitlyn Mizzer 1 0-0 2, Mia DelGaudio 5 2-4 12, Odessa Kanton 4 4-6 12, Brianna Casey 0 0-0 0, Molly Walsh 2 6-6 10, Lyla Wydra 0 1-2 1, Riley Samanas 2 0-0 4, Lucy Gibson 1 0-0 2, Peyton Strobel 0 0-0 0, Zoey Sutzko 0 0-0 0, Jacie Rollins 0 2-2 2, Brooklyn Rogaski 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 15-20 45.
Wallenpaupack`8`3`7`4 — 22
Dallas`10`9`14`12 — 45
Three-point goals: WAL 3 (Shanaberger, Vanderputten 2).
