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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A heartfelt apology turned a punch in the face into a slap on the wrist.</p><p>District Judge Tom Malloy simply urged former Scranton High School standout Georgia Miller and Wyoming Valley West senior Colleen Cwalina to &#8220;Try to get along,&#8221; during a hearing Tuesday triggered by a skirmish between the two players on the girls basketball court.</p><p>No charges were filed and no punishment was handed down by Malloy, who cautioned the players to keep the peace in the future. Both left the Wilkes-Barre courtroom seperately.</p><p>&#8220;I think it&#8217;s over and done with,&#8221; Cwalina said.</p><p>It started when the two became entangled while wrestling for a rebound during a Feb. 16 opening round District 2 Class 4A playoff game at Holy Redeemer High School.</p><p>Tempers erupted between the two girls.</p><p>With her Scranton team seemingly in control in the fourth quarter, the 5-foot-7 Miller responded to a heated battle for the ball by throwing a punch that caught the 6-foot Cwalina flush in the face. Cwalina answered back with a slap that missed as both team&#8217;s benches rushed to the court. Her Valley West teammates held Cwalina back, while Miller darted away from the frenzy and to the other side of the court.</p><p>&#8220;They both threw punches, and there were double-technicals on both of them,&#8221; Wyoming Valley West coach Gary Ferenchick said after that game.</p><p>Both received an automatic ejection with the double-technical fouls.</p><p>&#8220;All we really wanted was an apology and to find out why she did it,&#8221; Mary Jane Cwalina, Colleen&#8217;s mom, said immediately after Tuesday&#8217;s hearing. &#8220;She (Miller) did apologize to her (Colleen Cwalina) in there. She did apologize to me afterwards.&#8221;</p><p>Both parties received leniency from Malloy, who cautioned both parties not to allow their emotions to escalate. Malloy also advised Miller to show some restraint on social media after she publicly griped about accounts of the incident following the game.</p><p>&#8220;We wouldn&#8217;t be here if it weren&#8217;t for social media,&#8221; Malloy said, before telling both girls, &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to ruin anyone&#8217;s college chances.</p><p>&#8220;Be good teammates.&#8221;</p><p>Speaking of college, Miller and Cwalina may wind up attending the same institution.</p><p>While Miller will head to Division II East Stroudsburg to play basketball in the fall, Cwalina is being recruited to play softball there as she enters her senior high school season at Valley West.</p><p>&#8220;I know things happen,&#8221; said Swoyersville councilman Pete Cwalina, Colleen&#8217;s father. &#8220;The issue was all the social media. If it weren&#8217;t for social media and comments made by her (Miller) the next day, this (hearing) would never have happened My understanding is, if nothing (else) happens (between the girls), it&#8217;s all over.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Valley West girls basketball player Colleen Cwalina (42), shooting the ball last season, was satisfied with the outcome of a district hearing Tuesday that essentially told her and former Scranton player Georgia Miller to get along with teammates. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL120915basketball-WVW-Dallas3.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wyoming Valley West girls basketball player Colleen Cwalina (42), shooting the ball last season, was satisfied with the outcome of a district hearing Tuesday that essentially told her and former Scranton player Georgia Miller to get along with teammates. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Future school mates urged to get along after girls basketball skirmish</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Paul Sokoloski</p><p>psokoloski@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Cooler heads prevail