EXETER – With each rebound she grabbed off the backboard and each shot she swatted away before it got there, Addison Orzel moved closer to the obvious result that awaited the conclusion of Monday’s first Tigue-Denisco Trophy Game.
Orzel claimed the Tony Denisco Award as Wyoming Area’s Most Valuable Player when she grabbed 30 rebounds, scored 13 points and blocked six shots to lead the Lady Warriors past visiting Wyoming Area in the Wyoming Valley Conference Division 1-2 crossover game.
The victory was the first for Wyoming Area in the series since it took one of three meetings in the 2010-11 season. It also came in first game since the schools decided to honor the memories of Denisco and Tom Tigue with the annual rivalry game.
“It’s a rivalry game,” Orzel said. “I knew I had to be competitive. I knew I had to give it my all. That’s what I did.”
Pittston Area could not come up with an answer for the junior center, who got plenty of help from Sarah Holweg and Lydia Edwards.
“Addison played the game of her life,” Pittston Area coach Kathy Healey said. “She outrebounded us. She’s a great kid. She works hard.
“She doesn’t get a lot of accolades all the time, so I’m happy she got the MVP tonight.”
MVP Awards were created to honor the memories of Denisco, the West Pittston mayor, and Tigue, the 26-year state representative from Hughestown, who both passed away during 2016.
Tigue’s granddaughter, Taryn Ashby, received the plaque in his name as Pittston Area’s MVP. Ashby scored 11 points, including nine in the second half, and dished out five assists.
Holweg led Wyoming Area with 19 points, including during eight during a 12-3 run to break away from the only tie of the second half.
Kirsten Durling, who led the Lady Patriots with 24 points and five steals, scored four straight points to tie the game, 48-48, with 2:45 left on a steal and breakaway.
Holweg took over from there. She had her own breakaway off a steal and hit a foul shot to help the Lady Warriors score the next six points.
Ashby hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to cut the deficit in half with 53.8 seconds left, but Holweg finished it off with five more points in another six-point streak.
Stuck in the lane and trying to avoid a costly turnover at a time when the team normally would not shoot while protecting a six-point lead, Holweg threw the ball high off the backboard. She retrieved her own rebound and turned it into the clinching three-point play for a 60-51 lead with 24.8 seconds left.
Lydia Edwards added 15 points in the win.
“What an absolutely total, full effort from Lydia,” Wyoming Area coach Chad Lojewski said. “She’s a good 3-point shooter, but she makes her foul shots and I’m asking her to drive more.”
Although Wyoming Area did drop a game to defending WVC Division 1 Hazleton Area later in the week, the game extended a winning streak to four and represented the most promising stretch of the season for the Lady Warriors.
“We definitely grew up,” Lojewski said. “The Dallas game was a good half. The Coughlin game, the starters played very solid for their half, which I was happy about because it could have been a letdown.
“This game now, it’s not a coincidence any more. We’re starting to put something nice together. We’re evolving at the right time, which is nice.”
Holy Redeemer 58
Pittston Area 40
Julia Andrejko scored all 14 of her points in the first half to help keep Holy Redeemer unbeaten in WVC play with Wednesday’s Division 1-2 crossover win at Pittston Area.
Taryn Ashby led Pittston Area with 20 points. Leah Hodick added 11.
Hazleton Area 69
Wyoming Area 58
Kendra Pfeil had 12 of her 28 points in the fourth quarter to help keep Hazleton Area in control of Thursday’s WVC Division 1-2 crossover game.
Addison Orzel led the Lady Warriors with 19 points.
Crestwood 44
Pittston Area 38
Julia Makowski scored 17 points to help Crestwood avenge an earlier loss in Friday’s WVC Division 1 game at Pittston Area.
Taryn Ashby scored 25 points to lead Pittston Area, which played without Kirsten Durling, its only other senior starter.
The Lady Patriots started the week in a tie for the division lead, but after three straight losses, they are tied for third at 7-5. They are also 12-6 overall and have dropped behind Crestwood into third in the seeding race for the eight-team District 2 Class 5A tournament.
Wyoming Area 71
Tunkhannock 47
Sarah Holweg hit seven of Wyoming Area’s dozen 3-pointers while scoring 26 points in Friday’s WVC Division 2 win at Tunkhannock.
Holweg had three 3-pointers and 10 points while Lydia Edwards hit two 3-pointers to get the team through the first quarter with a 20-19 lead.
Aleah Kranson scored all seven of her points in the second quarter and Holweg hit another 3-pointer to help the Lady Warriors emerge with a 37-32 halftime lead.
Holweg had 11 points, with the help of three more 3-pointers, when Wyoming Area broke the game open by outscoring Tunkhannock, 20-5, in the third quarter. Katie Wolfgang, who finished with 15 points, hit two 3-pointers in the quarter.
With Holy Redeemer maintaining the WVC’s only perfect girls basketball record, Wyoming Area’s title hopes in Division 2 are just about gone. The Lady Warriors are third in the division with an 8-4 WVC record. They are also 11-6 overall and ranked second, behind Nanticoke, in the District 2 Class 4A tournament ratings race where 10 teams are going after eight berths.
The week ahead
Wyoming Area has three games. The Lady Warriors are home with Lake-Lehman Monday, at GAR Wednesday and home with Berwick Thursday.
The GAR game is a non-leaguer that was added to make up for losing a game from the schedule when MMI Prep dropped its program at the start of the season.
Pittston Area has WVC Division 1 road games Monday at Coughlin and Thursday at Dallas.
Wyoming Area’s Katie Wolfgang (No. 31) grabs a rebound under her basket as Pittston Area’s Andrea Ruby, center, and Alexa Noone also go after the ball.
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Wyoming Area’s Katie Wolfgang (No. 31) grabs a rebound under her basket as Pittston Area’s Andrea Ruby, center, and Alexa Noone also go after the ball.
Pittston Area’s Andrea Ruby (No. 30) grabs a rebound away from Wyoming Area’s Katie Wolfgang.
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Pittston Area’s Andrea Ruby (No. 30) grabs a rebound away from Wyoming Area’s Katie Wolfgang.
By TOM ROBINSON
For Sunday Dispatch
Reach the Sunday Dispatch newsroom at 570-655-1418 or by email at sd@psdispatch.com.