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Agway building in Dallas Township is sold

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Mackenzie Yori leads Hazleton Area on a long-awaited return to the PIAA playoffs

<p>The transfer left Talia Kosierowski in a strange place.</p><p>She was at a new school playing for a new team at a new position.</p><p>And in the end, she found new success.</p><p>For the first time in her high school girls basketball career, Kosierowski will be on the court in a state playoff game when Holy Redeemer faces Southern Columbia in a first-round PIAA tournament game at 7 p.m. at Pittston Area High School.</p><p>That&#8217;s a long way from when she first enrolled at Redeemer for her junior school year after spending her earlier seasons playing point guard for Dallas.</p><p>&#8220;I didn&#8217;t know the offense,&#8221; Kosierowski said.</p><p>But even in those early days, the Royals knew they had a keeper in Kosierowski.</p><p>&#8220;The kid has a work ethic like no other,&#8221; Holy Redeemer coach Chris Parker said. &#8220;When we take water breaks, she stays. When practice is over, she stays. To me, that&#8217;s a kid who takes basketball very seriously.&#8221;</p><p>Actually, Kosierowski helped take Redeemer over the top.</p><p>Although this season&#8217;s core of Royals seniors played in two straight state semifinal games, in Class 3A in 2004 and in Class 2A last year, they&#8217;d never won a District 2 championship.</p><p>Until Kosierowski got going.</p><p>She scored five of Redeemer&#8217;s first seven points in Friday&#8217;s district title game, hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half and finished with a team-high 14 points. That haleps the Royals win a District 2 title for the first time in Parker&#8217;s five seasons as their head coach by avenging an early-season defeat to Holy Cross with a 52-47 victory.</p><p>Just as importantly, Kosierowski&#8217;s superior ballhandling skills helped break a Holy Cross press that backed Redeemer&#8217;s speedy point guard Lydia Lawson into a corner a few times.</p><p>&#8220;She kind of gave us that lift,&#8221; Parker said. &#8220;Talia&#8217;s a great kid. I knew the kid had talent. The problem was, she didn&#8217;t know our offensive system. The first time we played Holy Cross, she didn&#8217;t even know the offense. She was just running around out there.&#8221;</p><p>After a few weeks at Redeemer, Kosierowski ran her way into the Royals starting lineup.</p><p>She finished the regular season tied for the team lead with 17 3-point field goals &#8212; a top 16 total in the Wyoming Valley Conference &#8212; and gives the Royals a solid threat from the perimeter when teams try clamping down on Royals inside force Rebecca Prociak and her 25-point average.</p><p>It wasn&#8217;t always that way, and it wasn&#8217;t easy for a player to start making points after spending most of her formative years making passes.</p><p>&#8220;I was a point guard, so I had to learn to shoot,&#8221; Kosierowski said. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been putting so much work into shooting.&#8221;</p><p>Now, the No. 3-ranked Royals (22-3) will try to shoot down 20-6 Southern Columbia.</p><p>The Tigers finished as the District 4 No. 3 representative in the Class 2A state field and feature a balanced scoring attack spearheaded by 5-foot-6 sophomore guard Madison Klock. Senior Haley Levan is a fierce rebounder and sophomore Abby Hager has the ability to block shots, so the Royals could benefit from some pop from the perimeter.</p><p>Kosierowski&#8217;s anxious to provide it.</p><p>&#8220;We got more comfortable with each other,&#8221; Kosierowski said. &#8220;It was great to come to Redeemer.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Junior Talia Kosierowski (left) gives Holy Redeemer another ballhandling threat and scoring option as the Royals ride into the PIAA Class 2A playoffs Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/web1_TTL012616GBBNWRedeemer3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Junior Talia Kosierowski (left) gives Holy Redeemer another ballhandling threat and scoring option as the Royals ride into the PIAA Class 2A playoffs Friday night. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Holy Redeemer guard becoming a shooting star</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>PIAA Class 2A Girls Basketball Playoffs</strong></p><p>Holy Redeemer vs. Southern Columbia</p><p>7 p.m. Friday, Pittston Area High School</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Holy Redeemer’s Talia Kosierowski turning into a shooting star in time for Royals’ state run