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Lehman’s Borum stars, but WVC drops game

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PRO GOLFKisner gets it right at Match Play

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8211; The second annual Battle of the Valley All-Star Classic did not resemble a high school game, which suited GAR&#8217;s Will Johnson just fine.</p><p>It also did not resemble a typical all-star game, which worked well for Scranton Prep&#8217;s Mario Rotell.</p><p>In a game with a surprise emphasis on defense, Rotell led the Lackawanna League to a 105-94 victory over the Wyoming Valley Conference Sunday at Lackawanna College.</p><p>Johnson thrived in the fast-paced game played under college rules, including the shot clock. He was the day&#8217;s high scorer with 20 points, hitting three 3-pointers in four attempts, getting to the basket for four more field goals and going to the line to finish 3-for-5 there.</p><p>He did, however, wish he could take back one of the few possessions that was extended all the way to the end of the shot clock.</p><p>&#8220;The shot clock was a little different,&#8221; said Johnson, who plans to play in college, but is not sure where yet. &#8220;I think a fouled a kid with like one second left on the shot clock.&#8221;</p><p>The Lackawanna League pushed the tempo with an aggressive, half-court defensive approach, often trapping the WVC around the top of the key.</p><p>&#8221;They started doubling on ball screens and we were getting stuck,&#8221; Johnson said. &#8220;They went up (13), but we fought hard to get back.&#8221;</p><p>Nanticoke&#8217;s Nate Kreitzer forced the only tie after the game&#8217;s first four minutes when he opened up the second half with a 3-pointer to make it 50-50.</p><p>Johnson had 12 points after halftime. Johnson&#8217;s 3-pointer with 6:13 left for his final basket brought the WVC within 83-81 and his two free throws with 4:09 to play for his final points made it 90-86.</p><p>The Lackawanna League went on a 11-3 run from there to put the game away.</p><p>Rotell, usually better known for his defense, got the Lackawanna League started. He had six of the points in a 13-point streak that erased the last WVC lead and gave his team a 19-9 advantage.</p><p>While missing only one shot, Rotell had a team-high 19 points, matching his regular-season scoring high. He also was one of three players who had two steals for the Lackawanna.</p><p>&#8220;We played defense,&#8221; Rotell said. &#8220;I like playing defense.</p><p>&#8220;Going from defense to offense is always easy. They found me in transition. I was able to push it up and I got some easy ones.&#8221;</p><p>Rotell also went 3-for-4 from 3-point range in a game where the teams combined to hit 27 times from behind the arc.</p><p>Nick Prociak, playing for the team led by his Holy Redeemer coach, Paul Guido, had 13 points for the WVC. Tunkhannock Tyler Faux matched that total.</p><p>Matt Marchetti from MMI Prep had 11 points.</p><p>Johnson also led the WVC with seven rebounds, shared the team lead with two steals and dished out three assists.</p><p>Crestwood&#8217;s Sean Murphy had a team-high four assists.</p><p>The win by the Lackawanna League avenges last season&#8217;s loss to the WVC at Wilkes University, 115-91.</p><p>Lafayette College commit Leo O&#8217;Boyle and Binghamton University commit George Tinsley, the game&#8217;s only two NCAA Division I players, both had double-doubles for the Lackawanna League.</p><p>O&#8217;Boyle had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Tinsley had 15 points, 10 rebounds and a game-high six assists.</p><p>The Battle of the Valley was presented by Joyce Insurance and organized by NEPABasketball.com. Between games of the doubleheader at the Lackawanna College Student Union, checks for $2,000 were presented to Miles for Michael and the Allied Services Hospice and Palliative Care from proceeds of the event.</p><p><strong>BATTLE OF VALLEY CLASSIC BOYS</strong></p><p><strong>Lackawanna League 105, Wyoming Valley Conference 94</strong></p><p><strong>WYOMING VALLEY CONFERENCE (94) &#8212;</strong> Nate Kreitzer 2 2-2 7, Will Johnson 7 3-5 20, Sean Murphy 2 0-0 6, Tyler Faux 4 2-2 13, Zahary Evans 3 2-2 9, Matt Marchetti 4 2-2 11, Camden Boris 1 0-0 3, Collin Cook 3 0-0 8, Dimitri Gnall 1 0-0 2, Nick Ganter 1 0-3 2, Nick Prociak 5 3-4 13. <strong>Totals 33 14-20 94.</strong></p><p><strong>LACKAWANNA LEAGUE (105) &#8212;</strong> Dahlton Frisbie 2 0-0 6, Brian Boland 1 0-0 2, Marc Kudrich 1 0-0 2, Marcus Bauman 6 3-4 15, Tyler Mozeleski 1 0-0 3, Mario Rotell 6 4-4 19, Leo O&#8217;Boyle 6 1-2 16, George Tinsley 5 4-4 15, Blake Gearhart 3 0-0 7, Mikey Schermerhorn 0 0-0 0, Jake Curnow 3 1-2 9, Trey Koehler 5 1-1 11. <strong>Totals 39 14-17 105.</strong></p><p><strong>Halftime &#8211; </strong><strong>Lackawanna, 50-47. </strong><strong>Three-point goals &#8212;</strong> WVC 14 (Johnson 3, Faux 3, Murphy 2, Cook 2, Kreitzer, Evans, Marchetti, Boris), LL 13 (Rotell 3, O&#8217;Boyle 3, Frisbie 2, Curnow 2, Mozeleski, Tinsley, Gearhart).</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Nate Kreitzer, of Nanticoke, dribbles the ball during the Battle of the Valley All-Star Classic at Lackawanna College on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_ttl040119AllStarClassic4.jpg</photo0><caption0>Nate Kreitzer, of Nanticoke, dribbles the ball during the Battle of the Valley All-Star Classic at Lackawanna College on Sunday. </caption0><photoCredit0>Zachary Allen | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_ttl040119AllStarClassic5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Camden Boris, of Crestwood, attemps a shot during during Sunday&#8217;s game. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_ttl040119AllStarClassic5.jpg</photo1><caption1>Camden Boris, of Crestwood, attemps a shot during during Sunday&#8217;s game. </caption1><photoCredit1>Zachary Allen | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_ttl040119AllStarClassic6.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Nate Kreitzer, of Nanticoke, dribbles the ball up court during the Battle of the Valley All-Star Classic at Lackawanna College on Sunday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/web1_ttl040119AllStarClassic6.jpg</photo2><caption2>Nate Kreitzer, of Nanticoke, dribbles the ball up court during the Battle of the Valley All-Star Classic at Lackawanna College on Sunday. </caption2><photoCredit2>Zachary Allen | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Tom Robinson</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div>

GAR’s Johnson stars in fast-paced Battle of the Valley Classic boys game