HAZLE TWP. — When the time came to come up big, Dallas did so like the two-time defending Wyoming Valley Conference Tournament boys champion.
Pat Flanagan did his part, scoring the go-ahead basket with 2:43 remaining and then plucking an offensive rebound off a missed free throw with 19.5 seconds remaining as Dallas edged Crestwood 43-38 Saturday afternoon for the title.
The Mountaineers (21-3) also held Crestwood (16-8) to one point over the final 2:43 for their third win over the Comets this season.
“They want to keep the game in the 30s,” Dallas coach Mark Belenski said. “The tempo, we showed we can play at that level. We didn’t play very well, but we got through it.”
Pat and his brother Chris combined on a key sequence with 22.5 seconds left. Crestwood used up all its foul before putting Chris Flanagan on the line. He hit his first free throw for a 39-37 lead, but missed his second.
A Crestwood player got his hands on the ball, but Pat Flanagan sailed in to grab it. That led to two free throws by Kael Berry with 19.5 seconds left that bumped the lead to 41-37.
“This is a big game. We’ve been thinking about this game all summer,” Pat Flanagan said. “Preparing long hours in the gym. It paid off.”
After a free throw by Crestwood’s Gio Barna, Dallas finished off winning its fourth title in five years with two more free throws.
Crestwood entered the game with the WVC’s best defense, while Dallas came in with the top-scoring offense. Crestwood was able to tilt the game its way through the first half.
Crestwood used a pair of 3-pointers by Connor Wagaman to outscore Dallas 14-5 in the second quarter and take a 22-15 lead into halftime.
“We knew we had to make a comeback,” Pat Flanagan said. “The third quarter is our quarter. We knew we could do it and we got it done.”
Dallas caught Crestwood in the third quarter as an inside basket by Joey Nocito and a pair of free throws by Berry gave the Mountaineers a 29-28 lead entering the fourth.
Crestwood built its fourth-quarter lead to 35-31 with six minutes left on inside baskets by Ayden Agapito and Wagaman. Pat Flanagan, though, prevented the Comets from extending the lead with a steal that Tyce Mason turned into a layup.
Mason’s basket ended a two-minute drought for Dallas.
The game had no bearing on the District 2 seedings. Crestwood will be the second seed in Class 5A and be off until Friday’s semifinal round.
“Like I told our guys, we got two good games,” Crestwood coach Mark Atherton said. “If we can learn from a few mistakes and it comes down to a couple possessions and we take care of those going forward obviously it was worth it.”
Dallas will be the top seed in 4A and host Mid Valley on Tuesday.
“We got to keep the momentum rolling,” Pat Flanagan said. “That’s 10 or 11 in a row. We just got to keep it going through districts.”
WVC Boys Championship
Dallas 43, Crestwood 38
CRESTWOOD (38) — Gio Barna 3 1-2 8, Miles Metz 3 0-0 8, Connor Wagaman 4 0-0 10, Jack Rodgers 0 0-0 0, Ayden Agapito 6 0-0 12, Zach Sechleer 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 1-2 38.
DALLAS (43) — Joey Nocito 1 1-2 3, Tyce Mason 6 1-2 15, Kael Berry 2 4-4 10, Chris Flanagan 1 2-4 5, Pat Flanagan 4 0-1 8, Talan Geskey 1 0-0 2, Max Scatton 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 8-13 43.
Crestwood`8`14`6`10 — 38
Dallas`10`5`14`12 — 43
Three-point goals: CRE 5 (Barna, Metz 2, Wagaman 2). DAL 5 (Mason 2, Berry 2, C.Flanagan).
