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D2 basketball: Dallas’ Mathers scores game-winner in final second vs. Crestwood

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Get those cards ready: TL’s Blackout Bingo starts again Monday

BERWICK &#8212; By the time Maddie Mrochko lost her touch, it was too late.Her red-hot start Friday pretty much ensured Williamsport had lost the game, and Hazleton Area had lost a streak it couldn&#8217;t wait to get rid of.If couldn&#8217;t have come at a better time for the Cougars, who rode Mrochko&#8217;s 23 points to a 65-43 victory over Williamsport in a District 2-4 girls basketball semifinal game at Berwick Middle School.&#8220;I knew no matter what team we were playing, we just had to play our game,&#8221; Mrochko said. &#8220;Felt confident in my shot.&#8221;Really, it gave Hazleton Area a shot of confidence.The Cougars entered Friday on a four-game losing streak to finish their Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1 season on a downer, but all that changed quickly in Hazleton Area&#8217;s playoff opener.Mrochko scored 20 points while knocking down five 3-point goals in the first half as the Cougars cruised to a 40-22 halftime lead.They&#8217;ll face defending district champion Scranton in the District 2 Class 6A final at 6 p.m. next Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in a rematch of last year&#8217;s title game.&#8220;They&#8217;ve been playing well,&#8221; Hazleton Area coach Joe Gavio said of the Millionaires. &#8220;We just shot the ball better. Maddie lit it up. She was lights-out early, when we really needed her.&#8221;Virginia Yurko added 14 of her 19 points in the opening half, including a nine-point barrage in Hazleton Area&#8217;s 24-point first quarter. Diamond Truluck and Faith Grula each finished with eight points as the Cougars patiently ran time off the clock in the second half while frustrating Williamsport.Mrochko came out strong, hitting three 3-pointers within the game&#8217;s first four minutes and scoring 13 points in the opening 5:05 to take the Cougars to a 17-11 lead. She added two more treys less than a minute apart near the end of the second quarter to send Hazleton Area into halftime with an 18-point advantage.Then her magical marksmanship disappeared.Mrochko seemingly couldn&#8217;t buy a bucket in the second half, missing all eight of her shots from the floor over the final two quarters. Her only points came when she sank three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt midway through the fourth quarter. They set the final score with 4:06 to play, and afterward, Mrochko departed for the night.&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if I was a little too confident,&#8221; Mrochko said of her puzzling second-half. &#8220;I thought maybe I forced my shots.&#8221;No matter.By then, the Cougars were well on their way to forcing a second straight showdown with top-seeded Scranton for the Class 6A district title.&#8220;We didn&#8217;t know what to expect. We&#8217;d lost four in a row,&#8221; said Gavio, who returned three players from injury to Hazleton Area&#8217;s rotation. &#8220;In the process of getting people healthy, other people picked it up a little bit. Virginia (Yurchak) played well, Diamond (Truluck) gave us a spark, Faith (Grula) started coming on a little bit, Wolkie (Olivia Wolk) played well.&#8220;We needed this.&#8221;District 2-4 Class 6A SemifinalsHazleton Area 65, Williamsport 43WILLIAMSPORT (43) &#8212; Jada Whaley 3 1-2 9, Katelyn Wilson 2 0-0 5, Samiyah Little 2 2-2 6, Gabby Thomas 0 0-1 0, Shelly Floyd 0 8-10 8, Whitney Felix 3 0-0 9, Fondra McClain 0 0-2 0, Emily Pardee 1 1-2 3, Sofia Erb 0 1-3 1, Kalinde Maggs 0 0-0 0, Jessica Robinson 0 2-2 2. Totals 11 15-24 43.HAZLETON AREA (65) &#8212; Diane Garnett 1 0-0 2, Diamond Truluck 3 2-2 8, Faith Grula 4 0-0 8, Virginia Yurchak 8 1-2 19, Maddie Mrochko 7 4-4 23, Marissa Trivelpiece 0 0-0 0, Brooke Boretski 0 0-0 0, Kyra Antolick 0 0-0 0, Olivia Wolk 1 2-2 5, Abby Valerie 0 0-0 0, Megan Fox 0 0-0 0, Erin Potoskie 0 0-0 0, Carley Krizansky 0 0-0 0, Veronica Pecora 0 0-0 0, Allie Zumar 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 9-10 65.Williamsport`12`10`9`12 &#8212; 43Hazleton Area`24`16`15`10 &#8212; 65Three-point goals &#8212; WIL 6 (Felix 3, Whaley 2, Wilson); HAZ 8 (Mrochko 5, Yurchak 2, Wolk).<style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Paul Sokoloskipsokoloski@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</shirttailMeta></div>

D2 basketball: Mrochko’s hot start leads Hazleton Area into girls 6A title game