The Hazleton Area girls’ basketball team showcased a remarkable performance, decisively defeating Wyomissing 66-21 in the opening round of the Lady Cougar Tip-off Tournament on March 15, 2024. The match, held at Hughie McGeehan Gymnasium, highlighted the Lady Cougars’ dominance from the very start, as they surged to a staggering 32-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Led by Kaitlyn Bindas, who scored eight points, and Mariah Marolo and Sophia Benyo, each contributing seven points, the Lady Cougars capitalized on numerous turnovers. Their aggressive defense translated into easy baskets, extending the lead to 42-0 before Wyomissing’s Lily Paolini managed to score the team’s first points with a layup at 4:24 in the second quarter. By that point, Hazleton Area head coach Joe Gavio had already utilized most of his bench players.
With the score at 52-5 at the beginning of the third quarter, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s (PIAA) mercy rule was activated, leading to a running clock for the remainder of the game. Although Wyomissing outscored Hazleton Area 15-4 in the third quarter, Gavio continued to shuffle his lineup, treating the game akin to a hockey match with frequent substitutions.
Freshman Molly Temchatin made an impressive debut, finishing as the game’s top scorer with 13 points. Bindas added another 10 points, moving her within 44 points of reaching the 1,000 career points milestone. Marolo and Benyo each contributed nine points, while Alexis Reimold rounded out the scoring with eight points. In total, eleven of Hazleton Area’s seventeen players scored at least two points during the match.
For Wyomissing, Addie Loeb was the standout player, leading her team with 12 points, including four three-point baskets.
The Lady Cougars now advance to face Nazareth in the tournament title game scheduled for March 16, 2024. Nazareth secured their spot by overcoming Lake-Lehman with a score of 61-38, thanks to strong performances from Karly Leszcynski and Alexis Davis, who scored 16 and 15 points respectively. The consolation game between Lake-Lehman and Wyomissing will precede the championship match, beginning at 18:00, followed by the title contest around 19:15.
As the tournament progresses, the Lady Cougars will aim to build on their successful start and continue their pursuit of the championship title.
