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Kreitzer hits 8 3-pointers in Nanticoke boys basketball league semi win

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<p>DALLAS TWP. &#8212; For a time in the fourth quarter Friday night, Wyoming Seminary didn&#8217;t look like it would reach its pregame goal.</p><p>Then junior guard Jeremy Callahan mashed down on the gas pedal and the Blue Knights were able to zoom into the inaugural Wyoming Valley Conference Championships for boys basketball.</p><p>Callahan scored all eight Seminary points in a one-minute burst in the fourth quarter, as the Blue Knights defeated Crestwood 56-50 in a semifinal game at Dallas High School.</p><p>Division 3 champion Seminary (21-2) will play Division 2 champion Nanticoke Area (19-5) at 7:30 p.m. today at Hazleton Area High School. The winner gets to be the first-ever overall WVC champion. Nanticoke Area rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat Hazleton Area 68-64 in the other semifinal.</p><p>&#8220;Every time we play Crestwood, even the first time we played this year, we say the road to victory is to get to 55,&#8221; Seminary coach Pete Moses said. &#8220;If you go in our room and read our chalkboard, you&#8217;ll see the number we have up there is the road to 55.&#8221;</p><p>Seminary was traveling in the slow lane as late as a minute into the fourth quarter. Crestwood&#8217;s Mike Palmiero continued his hot shooting and his drive to the basket gave the Comets a 43-37 lead with 7:04 left. The six-point advantage tied for the biggest lead either team had to that juncture.</p><p>The Blue Knights, though, ripped off the next seven points, with Nick Ganter&#8217;s old-fashion three-point play giving his team a 44-43 lead. Crestwood&#8217;s Camden Boris&#8217; basket gave the lead back to the Comets, but Callahan&#8217;s burst switched the lead for good.</p><p>Callahan opened his eight consecutive points with a drive to the hoop. He then knocked down a 3-pointer after teammate Ethan Meuser reached over a Crestwood player to block a shot. Then after a Crestwood miss, Callahan knocked down another three to give the Blue Knights a 52-45 lead with 1:37 to play.</p><p>&#8220;They were trying to pack it in, play our bigs because that&#8217;s our strength,&#8221; Callahan said. &#8220;The outside opened up more in the second half and more in transition.&#8221;</p><p>Palmiero moved Crestwood within 52-48 with his sixth and final 3-pointer of the game, part of his game-high 26 points. But Seminary came right back with an inside basket by Todd Phillips and a pair of free throws by Jake Koretz.</p><p>Callahan finished with 20 points, the only Blue Knight in double figures, and had seven rebounds. Leading scorer Dimitri Gnall was held to two points, but he and Phillips nabbed eight boards each. Ganter had seven of his nine points after halftime and despite missing a few minutes of the third quarter after landing awkwardly in his ankle.</p><p>&#8220;Jeremy has a high basketball IQ,&#8221; Moses said. &#8220;We know down the stretch he&#8217;s going to make big plays for us. (Todd) Phillips and (Nick) Ganter had big second halves as well. I feel like some guys really stepped up for us in the second half.&#8221;</p><p>Aside from Palmiero, guard Sean Murphy was the only other Comet with any consistency in the offensive end. He finished with 12 points.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m proud of my guys. They played hard, they played tough,&#8221; said Crestwood coach Mark Atherton, whose team will be the second seed in next week&#8217;s District 2 Class 5A playoffs. &#8220;The last quarter with three minutes to go or somewhere around there we&#8217;re up one point. &#8230; Couldn&#8217;t ask more than that. But they stepped up a hit some big shots.&#8221;</p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>WVC Championships Semifinal</strong></p><p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Wyoming Seminary 56, Crestwood 50</strong></p><p><strong>WYOMING SEMINARY (56) &#8212; </strong>Jeremy Callahan 8 0-0 20, Jake Koretz 3 2-3 9, Todd Phillips 3 2-2 8, Nick Ganter 4 1-2 8, Ethan Mueser 3 1-1 8, Dimitri Gnall 1 0-0 2, Ryan Anderson 0 0-0 0. <strong>Totals 22 6-8 56.</strong></p><p><strong>CRESTWOOD (50) &#8212; </strong>Mike Palmiero 10 0-0 26, Sean Murphy 4 2-4 12, Jacob Zeleski 3 0-1 6, Camden Boris 3 0-0 6, Ryan Petrosky 0 0-0 0, Marcus Vieney 0 0-0 0, Frank Casarella 0 0-0 0, Brad Papura 0 0-0 0. <strong>Totals 20 2-5 50.</strong></p><p><strong>Wyoming Seminary`13`9`13`21 &#8212; 56</strong></p><p><strong>Crestwood`13`4`21`12 &#8212; 50</strong></p><p><strong>Three-point goals &#8212; </strong>WS 6 (Callahan 4, Meuser, Koretz); CRE 8 (Palmiero 6, Murphy 2). </p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Jake Koretz drives between Crestwood defenders in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Jake Koretz drives between Crestwood defenders in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Dimitri Gnall scores two points against Crestwood in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_3.jpg</photo1><caption1>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Dimitri Gnall scores two points against Crestwood in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Todd Phillips looks for an opening against the Crestwood defense in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_5.jpg</photo2><caption2>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Todd Phillips looks for an opening against the Crestwood defense in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </caption2><photoCredit2>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_4.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Crestwood&#8217;s Jacob Zaleski (0) battles Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Ethan Meuser for a rebound in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_4.jpg</photo3><caption3>Crestwood&#8217;s Jacob Zaleski (0) battles Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Ethan Meuser for a rebound in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </caption3><photoCredit3>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Jeremy Callahan scores two of his 20 points as Crestwood&#8217;s Mike Palmiero defends in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_TTL021619HSBB-Seminary-Crestwood_1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Wyoming Seminary&#8217;s Jeremy Callahan scores two of his 20 points as Crestwood&#8217;s Mike Palmiero defends in a WVC boys basketball semifinal at Dallas High School on Friday night. </caption4><photoCredit4>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Seminary defeats Crestwood in WVC semifinals</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By John Erzar</p><p>jerzar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach John Erzar at 570-991-6394 or on Twitter @TLJohnErzar</p></shirttailMeta></div>

H.S. Boys Basketball: Wyoming Seminary defeats Crestwood in WVC semifinals