DV freshmen played Friday night's most exciting game
Milford. The freshmen played pure heads-up and hustle basketball against Wilkes Barre. DV's junior varsity players stopped Wilkes Barre from running away with the game, but in the varsity game, nothing clicked for DV.
| 10 Dec 2019 | 08:32
Freshman Michael DeGrote made the best play I have seen in years (
)
Wilkes-Barre's Brandon Hall is about to dunk the ball while covered by Delaware Valley's Jackson Shafer in the first quarter. Hall scored 20 points. (
)
Delaware Valley's Jackson Melnick scored 7 points. (
)
Delaware Valley's Mark Cavallaro launches the ball towards the hoop while covered by Wilkes-Barre's Cole Walker in the second quarter. Cavallaro scored 8 points. (
)
The varsity game (
)
The opening jump ball in the varsity game was won by Jackson Shafer (
)
Varsity players Jackson Shafer (#24), Aiden Oliver (#1), and Mark Cavalaro (#20) (
)
The varsity game (
)
The varsity game (
)
The basket is good: the varsity game (
)
Players lined up for a foul shot in the varsity game (
)
The Warriors warm up before the varsity game (
)
Three games were played when the Wilkes Barre boys basketball teams visited Delaware Valley Friday nigh: the freshmen game, then junior varsity, and finally the varsity.
Freshmen
The freshmen were up first. The game started out a bit lackluster: neither team could put the ball in the basket. The half-time score was 14-10 with DV up.
However, this turned out to be the most competitive and exciting game of the three that were played.
DV seemed to be pulling away several times, but Wilkes Barre found a way to struggle back into the game. By the end of the third period, DV still managed to be up 24-20.
In the final period Wilkes Barre tied it up 31 all. However, due to the benefit of foul shots, the Delaware Valley freshmen pulled out a squeaker of a win at 33-31.
The best play that I have seen in several years was by Michael DeGrote. Wilkes Barre passed a ball that went wild and past the intended receiver. It rolled past the half court line and into DV's side of the court. This usually goes to the opposing team, but DeGrote ran it down before it could go out of play. He picked it up under the basket and popped in a pretty layup.
This was pure heads-up and hustle basketball. Great job Michael.
Junior varsity
Wilkes Barre played good defense and was shooting well. For the entire game, DV had trouble scoring.
The first period ended with Wilkes Barre up 11-4. At half-time they were up 27-10.
In the second half DV seemed to come alive. DV managed to close the gap to 8 points on several occasions, but each time Wilkes Barre would then go on a run. The third period saw Wilkes Barre up 37-29
DV was a bit overmatched by Wilkes Barre, and only tenacity on DV's part prevented a complete runaway.
The final score was 47-35, with Wilkes Barre winning.
Varsity
Now the varsity. If you are a Wilkes Barre fan, then this was a pure delight to you. If you are a DV fan, then you'd just as soon forget this game.
Wilkes Barre's defense was smothering. DV didn't get any inside shots all night. Wilkes Barre was getting its inside shots but hitting from outside as well. The outside shots just would not go in for DV.
So here's what it looked like:
First period, Wilkes Barre is up 23-12. At half-time, they're up 31-22. That's about as good as it was going to get for DV.
In the second half Wilkes Barre was unstoppable. For Delaware Valley, nothing clicked for Delaware Valley. The final score would be 68-44, and only DV's pride and never-quit attitude kept it this close, because the game was really not this close.
This is a great start of the season for Wilkes Barre but a real tough one for DV.
With hard work this can be turned around though. We shall see how the season progresses from here.