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Nanticoke Area boys basketball rallies from 20 down to claim 4A state spot

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Heavy police presence expected at Lake-Lehman today amid threat rumors

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The head coach called it a matter of patience.</p><p>The star scorer called it history.</p><p>The big kid inside called it a case of forgetfulness.</p><p>And by the time they were done, the Berwick Bulldogs simply called it victory.</p><p>Reese Mensinger scored 19 points Tuesday, Berwick&#8217;s defense didn&#8217;t allow a basket for nearly 12 minutes and the Bulldogs used a big third quarter to rattle Wyoming Area 50-35 in a District 2 Class 4A girls basketball third-place game that earned the Bulldogs back-to-back state playoff berths for the first time in 20 years.</p><p>&#8220;Great to be part of history,&#8221; Mensinger said. &#8220;It feels amazing.&#8221;</p><p>Berwick, the District 2 runner-up last year, rode Mensinger&#8217;s 12-point second half and its twin towers in the paint to pull away for the school&#8217;s first repeat appearance in the PIAA playoffs since 1996-97 and 1997-98. The Bulldogs did it by dominating inside, leaning on 6-foot Roni Isenberg and 5-11 Megan Dalo to shut down the lane defensively and use it offensively. Both finished with 10 points.</p><p>&#8220;We tried to take advantage of our height,&#8221; Berwick coach Bill Phillips said.</p><p>That helped, since Wyoming Area senior Sarah Holweg seemed intent on taking advantage of the moment.</p><p>Holweg scored the first nine points for the Warriors and led them to an 11-6 lead after the first quarter. And her second 3-point field goal cut short a Berwick spurt and tied the game at 16-16 near the three-minute mark of the second quarter, leading to an 18-18 tie at the break.</p><p>The Bulldogs (15-10) didn&#8217;t panic, though.</p><p>Instead, they charged out of halftime and took control of the game.</p><p>With Dalo and Isenberg blocking paths to the basket and Mensinger, Renny Murphy and Katie Starr closing off lanes, Berwick held Wyoming Area without a basket and to a single free throw in an 18-1 third quarter that gave the Bulldogs a 36-19 lead and changed the game.</p><p>&#8220;I think we just really locked down on defense,&#8221; Isenberg said. &#8220;We talked more. We just went in with the mentality we weren&#8217;t going to let them score.</p><p>&#8220;We really wanted to win.&#8221; </p><p>That was just what the hard-luck Warriors didn&#8217;t want to see. They lost for the second time in three years in the district&#8217;s third-place state play-in game and finished their season at 16-9 after starting it on a school-record 11-game winning streak.</p><p>They just went cold at the wrong time.</p><p>From under two minutes before halftime to Cassidy Orzel&#8217;s 3-point field goal with 5:30 to play in the game, Wyoming Area didn&#8217;t convert a bucket and manaaged only a free throw from Addison Orzel, Cassidy&#8217;s sister. That drought left the Warriors in a 38-19 hole.</p><p>&#8220;We battled back, said we needed to play defense,&#8221; said Mensinger, who had two steals in the pivotal third quarter. &#8220;Defense wins games. We started getting turnovers. I felt it was definitely going in our favor, playing into our momentum.&#8221;</p><p>Berwick&#8217;s offense kept it going.</p><p>Dalo matched Mensinger with six points in the third quarter and both scored baskets in the period&#8217;s final minute to give the Bulldogs a 17-point bulge.</p><p>&#8220;We didn&#8217;t finish, the first half,&#8221; Phillips said. &#8220;Our field goal percentage was terrible. I thought we were a little more patient with our offense (in the second half).&#8221;</p><p>That seemed to make shots fall, even for Isenberg.</p><p>After going scoreless through the first two quarters despite repeated attempts under the basket, Isenberg finally found her groove.</p><p>She hit a layup in the third quarter, then polished off the victory with three more baskets in the fourth that deflated Wyoming Area&#8217;s hopes after four 3-point field goals and kept Berwick&#8217;s double-digit margin safe.</p><p>&#8220;Yeah, I was a little frustrated in the first half,&#8221; Isenberg said. &#8220;(Assistant) coach (Bob) Calarco kept telling me to calm down. I think I just got it out of my head. Once I calmed down, I felt like I could score more.&#8221;</p><p>Now, the Bulldogs are looking for even more success against the District 11 champion in a PIAA playoff opener March 10.</p><p>&#8220;We are back to where we wanted to be,&#8221; Mensinger said.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>District 2 Class 4A third-place game</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Berwick 50, Wyoming Area 35</strong></p><p><strong>BERWICK (50) &#8212;</strong> Reese Mensinger 9 1-1 19, Renny Murphy 2 0-0 4, Katie Starr 1 0-1 2, Megan Dalo 5 0-0 10, Roni Isenberg 4 2-2 10, Mallory Pinterich 1 0-0 3, Sierra Miedaner 0 0-0 0, Emily Novicki 1 0-0 2, Jadyn Michael 0 0-1 0, Haley Owens 0 0-0 0. <strong>Totals 23 3-5 50.</strong></p><p><strong>WYOMING AREA (35) &#8212;</strong> Nicole Silinskie 1 0-0 2, Aleah Kranson 1 0-0 3, Sarah Holweg 6 2-2 17, Cassidy Orzel 2 2-2 7, Addison Orzel 2 1-2 6, Ellie Glatz 0 0-1 0, Jalen Rhodes 0 0-0 0, Jalen Rhodes 0 0-0 0, Kristi Skok 0 0-0 0. <strong>Totals 12 5-7 35.</strong></p><p><strong>Berwick`6`12`18`14 &#8212; 50</strong></p><p><strong>Wyoming Area`11`7`1`16 &#8212; 35</strong></p><p><strong>Three-point goals</strong> &#8212; BER 1 (Pinterich); WA 6 (Holweg 3, C. Orzel, Kranson, A. Orzel).</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Berwick&#8217;s Megan Dalo (24) eyes up the basket past the defense of Wyoming Area&#8217;s Cassidy Orzel (22) during Tuesday&#8217;s District 2 Class 4A third-place game at Holy Redeeme High School. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_TTL022818GSBBBerwickWyoArea1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Berwick&#8217;s Megan Dalo (24) eyes up the basket past the defense of Wyoming Area&#8217;s Cassidy Orzel (22) during Tuesday&#8217;s District 2 Class 4A third-place game at Holy Redeeme High School. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_TTL022818GSBBBerwickWyoArea2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Berwick&#8217;s Reese Mensinger travels downcourt with the ball against Wyoming Area&#8217;s Cassidy Orzel during Tuesday&#8217;s game at Holy Redeemer High School. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_TTL022818GSBBBerwickWyoArea2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Berwick&#8217;s Reese Mensinger travels downcourt with the ball against Wyoming Area&#8217;s Cassidy Orzel during Tuesday&#8217;s game at Holy Redeemer High School. </caption1><photoCredit1>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_TTL022818GSBBBerwickWyoArea3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Berwick&#8217;s Reese Mensinger (2) keeps the ball from Wyoming Area&#8217;s Sarah Holweg (14) during Tuesday&#8217;s state-qualifying District 2 Class 4A third-place game at Holy Redeemer High School. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_TTL022818GSBBBerwickWyoArea3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Berwick&#8217;s Reese Mensinger (2) keeps the ball from Wyoming Area&#8217;s Sarah Holweg (14) during Tuesday&#8217;s state-qualifying District 2 Class 4A third-place game at Holy Redeemer High School. </caption2><photoCredit2>Sean McKeag | Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Berwick breaks away from halftime tie to earn state berth</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>

Big second half leads Berwick girls basketball team back to state playoffs