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Breaking down the District 2 boys basketball playoffs

Here’s a look at the District 2 girls basketball playoffs, which started Tuesday with a Class 4A qualifying game between Wyoming Area and Tunkhannock.

The PIAA decided that only district champions will advance to the state playoffs because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CLASS A

Outlook: MMI Prep decided not to play this season because of COVID-19 concerns, leaving Susquehanna (6-8) and Forest City (1-11) the only teams left. They’ll play for the title. Susquehanna won both regular-season games 60-17 and 45-25, so it’s not going out on a limb to say the Sabers are favored.

CLASS 2A

Seeds: 1. Holy Cross (10-4); 2. Elk Lake (10-4); 3. Old Forge (6-5); 4. Lackawanna Trail (8-6); 5. Northwest (9-7); 6. Mountain View (3-9); 7. Blue Ridge (2-12).

Outlook: Northwest left the WVC for the Northern Tier League where, for the most part, the Rangers dominated against lesser competition than they would have faced in the WVC. They lost their only game against a WVC opponent, 42-33 to Tunkhannock.

Holy Cross, as usual, is the favorite.

Title Prediction: Holy Cross over Elk Lake.

CLASS 3A

Seeds: 1. Riverside (17-2); 2. Montrose (12-0); 3. Western Wayne (13-5); 4. Lakeland (3-10); 5. Mid Valley (4-11); 6. Wyoming Seminary (2-12); 7. Carbondale Area (2-13).

Outlook: After the top-three seeds, the records of the entrants plummet. Wyoming Seminary is the only WVC team and its victories came against winless Hanover Area.

Riverside’s only losses have come against perennial power Dunmore 62-53 and 55-30.

Title Prediction: Riverside over Western Wayne.

CLASS 4A

Seeds: 1. Scranton Prep (14-1); 2. Dunmore (15-1); 3. Berwick (11-3); 4. Lake-Lehman (13-2); 5. Holy Redeemer (12-4); 6. Valley View (12-6); 7. Nanticoke Area (9-7); 8. Wyoming Area (8-7).

Outlook: This is the only classification in either girls or boys where all the teams have winning records. The bracket became even tougher when the PIAA success formula shifted Dunmore from 3A to 4A. Dunmore appealed the decision but lost.

Some excellent teams that could probably win titles in the other classes won’t be going to states because only the champ advances this season because of COVID-19 restrictions. District 2 previously sent three teams.

Prep in 4A and Dunmore in 3A advanced to the state quarterfinals last year, only to have the tournament shut down because of the pandemic. Prep’s only loss was 47-36 to District 3 Class 6A power Cumberland Valley. Dunmore stumbled against Prep 50-45 in its second game of the season.

Berwick won the WVC Division 1 title behind two 1,000-point scorers — forward Katie Starr and guard Renny Murphy. Claire Dougherty and Chase Purdy have played big parts in Lehman’s success. Redeemer has one of the deepest teams in the WVC and a balanced attack.

Redeemer and Lehman will play for a fourth time this season in the quarterfinals. Lehman won two of the games, including the one for the WVC Division 2 championship.

Valley View probably won’t be a factor for the championship based on losses of 39 and 47 points to Prep this season.

Title Prediction: Dunmore over Prep.

CLASS 5A

Seeds: 1. Abington Heights (11-2); 2. Dallas (7-5); 3. North Pocono (9-6); 4. Wyoming Valley West (5-7); 5. Crestwood (7-9); 6. Pittston Area (4-12); 7. Wallenpaupack (4-11).

Outlook: Aside from double-digit losses to Scranton Prep, Abington Heights has rolled through its schedule and topped 70 points on five occasions. North Pocono recovered from a 2-4 start, but has lost two of its last three games.

Dallas heads the WVC contingent. Bella Hill and Julia Kocher lead an offense which has put up some impressive numbers. Crestwood plays at Wyoming Valley West in the quarterfinals. Crestwood has won three of its last five, with both losses coming to Dallas. Valley West has lost five in a row. The teams split their two WVC games.

Pittston Area entered the season with a new coach and new starting lineup. While the Patriots have shown signs of improving over the second part of the season, they will need their best effort of the season to get past North Pocono.

Title Prediction: Abington Heights over Dallas.

CLASS 6A

Seeds: 1. Hazleton Area (12-7); 2. Wilkes-Barre Area (11-5); 3. Williamsport (6-11); 4. Scranton (4-9); 5. Delaware Valley (2-12).

Outlook: The bracket looks like a two-horse race between Hazleton Area and Wilkes-Barre Area. Williamsport played both teams, losing 76-43 to Hazleton Area on Jan. 16 and 40-26 to WBA on Jan. 30.

WBA defeated Hazleton Area twice this season, 62-58 on Feb. 3 and 53-51 on Feb. 24. If the two meet for the title, expect another close game.

Title Prediction: Hazleton Area over WBA.

Breaking down the District 2 girls basketball playoffs