DALLAS TWP. — Call it a rematch of their Wyoming Valley Conference Division 2 battles or a preview of their almost-certain matchup in the upcoming District 2 Class 3A playoffs.
Either way you look at it, Lake-Lehman added another win over Holy Redeemer to its side of the equation – and another championship.
Brenna Hunt did the damage on both ends of the floor with 16 points and seven assists Saturday night as the Division 2 champion Black Knights added their third straight WVC Girls Basketball Tournament title by turning back Holy Redeemer, 45-34, in the championship game.
“It’s over and over and over and they’re a good team to have to play,” Lake-Lehman coach Charlie Lavan said after this team improved to 3-1 in the season series. “If you falter, you’re going to get beat.”
A tiebreaker was needed to decide the WVC Division 2 title because Holy Redeemer won the first meeting of the conference season before Lake-Lehman won the rematch and the two meetings since.
The Black Knights did not falter.
They also did not trail.
Lake-Lehman took an 8-2 lead after one quarter by holding Holy Redeemer to 1-for-10 shooting with six turnovers.
Molly Jenkins hit the first two baskets of the second quarter and had half the points for a 14-2 lead at the midway point in the second quarter.
“I knew I had to get off to a fast start,” Jenkins said. “I knew they weren’t guarding me as close after last game.”
Jenkins finished with 11 points.
Ella Wilson had eight points and 12 rebounds while Hailey Kline and Lia Keefe each contributed eight rebounds to a 43-35 advantage on the boards.
Kline also had five assists.
Holy Redeemer got 14 points from Jillian DelBalso and 11 from Meghan Albrecht.
The Royals fought back to get as close as 22-19 with less than two minutes left in the third quarter, but Hunt broke the game open with 10 points in an 11-0 run that carried into the fourth quarter.
Hunt had six points, three rebounds (two of them offensive) and a steal in the final 1:02 of the third quarter.
“Brenna Hunt was outstanding,” Lavan said. “She gave us a spark in the fourth quarter.”
WVC championship
Lake-Lehman 45, Holy Redeemer 34
HOLY REDEEMER (34) – Albrecht 4 3-4 11, Kroptavich 0 0-0 0, Racicky 0 0-0 0, Ashton 4 0-0 8, DelBalso 4 5-5 14, Cegelka 0 0-0 0, Corridoni 0 1-2 1, Chimock 0 0-0 0, Karnes 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 9-11 34.
LAKE-LEHMAN (45) – Kline 1 1-5 3, 6, Hunt 7 2-2 16, Wilson 2 3-4 8, Keefe 2 3-6 7, Jenkins 4 3-4 11. Totals 16 12-21 45.
Holy Redeemer`2`7`10`15 — 34
Lake-Lehman`8`8`12`17 — 45
Three-point goals – HR 1 (DelBalso); LL 1 (Wilson)