First Posted: 3/24/2015
FOREST CITY – Scranton Prep’s players thrived on keeping other Lackawanna League girls basketball players from scoring this season.
Monday night, they specialized in helping them score.
Jess Genco had a game-high five assists while Classics teammates Bridget Walsh and Madison Ashby tied for second on the team with three each to help the Purple team hold off the Gray, 67-65, in the Lackawanna League Girls Basketball Senior All-Star Game.
The Purple team was made up of players from Divisions 1 and 2, which Scranton Prep swept on the way to an unbeaten league record and Division 1 title.
Genco was at ease finding the players who were her teammates for just one night, setting up easy baskets with a series of crisp passes.
“I’m not surprised,” said Genco, who re-entered the game with 12.7 seconds left and hit both ends of a one-and-one with 11.8 left for the points that decided the game. “There were a lot of skilled players.
“They know how to move without the ball and cut to get open.”
Genco, who had five points, and Walsh and Ashby, who contributed four each, set up more points than they scored.
Walsh led both teams with nine rebounds. She also assisted the first three Purple baskets of the fourth quarter for a 51-41 lead.
Ashby hit the last Purple field goal for a 64-59 lead with 1:20 remaining. She also had three assists.
North Pocono’s Kaitlyn Lewis, who had 10 points and three steals, all in the first half, was named Purple Most Valuable Player.
Gabby Giordano from Holy Cross was Gray MVP with 12 points, including 11 in the second half. The Gray consisted of players from Divisions 3 and 4.
Genco won the three-point shooting contest prior to the game. Western Wayne’s Rebecca Carmody won the foul shooting contest.