HAZLETON — A year after reaching the state semifinals and being on the cusp of playing in Hershey, Scranton Prep players were determined to take that next step.
They played with determination, powered through early-season adversity, earned a league title, and despite not being District 2 champions in Class 4A, were back in the PIAA boys basketball tournament.
Sometimes, despite the best efforts, competing in this one-game elimination format can derail even the most focused intentions.
District 3 champion Berks Catholic, with some high expectations of its own, used a fast start to the final quarter to push past Scranton Prep, 51-47, on Tuesday night at Hazleton Area High School.
The Saints (22-4) were led by Kingston McKoy and Zach Suski, who both scored 16 points, and advanced to the quarterfinals to play District 10 runner-up Sharon on Friday night. Scranton Prep finished at 19-8 overall.
“Obviously, we wanted to compete for a state championship, so this hurts,” said Scranton Prep senior Brycen Martin, who finished with 11 points and seven rebounds in his final game. “I can’t say enough about these guys and how we battled adversity and came together as a team.
“We are really a family, and these guys will be my brothers for life.”
The two programs took turns using quick bursts of offense to grab leads that they eventually relinquished until finally Berks Catholic made the final one in the first 4:23 of the fourth quarter.
Scranton Prep recovered from a slow shooting start to seize a 10-7 advantage in the first with an 8-2 run fueled by 3-pointers from Jack Maloney and Brody Martin. However, Berks Catholic fought back as McKoy hit the first of his two 3-pointers in the game, and Suski scored on an offensive rebound for a 12-10 lead.
Berks Catholic led, 14-10, early in the second, but Ambrose Rossi started a 13-0 run for the Cavaliers. Brycen Martin scored five straight, and Packy Doherty drilled back-to-back 3-pointers for a 23-14 lead, before Carmelo Harper converted a three-point play for Berks Catholic to end the half.
Doherty finished with 14 points to give him 128 in six career state playoff games.
Midway through the third quarter, as the teams went back and forth, McKoy drained a 3-pointer to pull Berks Catholic to within 29-28. Brody Martin, a tenacious defensive player who gave the Cavaliers a scoring jolt, hit a 3-pointer for a 32-28 lead.
“Packy and Brycen are great scorers, but they are also playmakers,” Brody Martin said. “When they have a lot of pressure on from the defense, they look to kick, and they found me for some looks.”
Berks Catholic scored the next eight points on back-to-back 3-pointers from Bryce Gumby and a layup from McKoy for a 36-32 lead.
Doherty doused the run with a 3-pointer. Jackson Kosik hit a free throw for Berks, but Doherty and Brody Martin gave Scranton Prep a 39-37 lead by closing out the quarter with four straight points.
Berks Catholic seized the momentum with an 8-0 run to start the fourth. Suski had five points. Scranton Prep made one final run. Brody Martin scored three points, and Doherty had a three-point play to lock up one last time at 45-45 with 1:43 remaining.
McKoy answered with a driving layup, and Berks Catholic tightened up the defense. The Saints closed it out with Kozik and Gumby making free throws, and Scranton Prep finished making only 3 of 11 from the field in the fourth quarter.
“We just picked a bad time to go cold,” Brycen Martin said. “We did a pretty good job on McKoy for most of the game, but then he found his teammates and he made some pretty big shots down the stretch.”.
Source: Berkshire mont