PIAA Basketball: Hazleton Area girls set for showdown with Bethlehem Liberty

CLASS 6A Bethlehem Liberty (19-8) vs. Hazleton Area (27-0) When: Tonight, 6 p.m.

Where: Martz Hall, Pottsville. At stake: A spot in the Class 6A state quarterfinals. How they got here: Hazleton Area defeated Cheltenham, 82-49.



Bethlehem Liberty defeated Palumbo Academy, 56-18. Up next: The winner advances to play either Perkiomen Valley or Lebanon on Friday at a site and time to be announced. Players to watch: BETHLEHEM LIBERTY — Ava Kopetskie (19.

6), Kendall Medina (7.6), Anijah Davis (10.1), Tula Sobrinski (7.

0), Shawna Beatty (4.3). HAZLETON AREA — Kaitlyn Bindas (17.

2), Sophia Benyo (11.3), Alexis Reimold (11.2), Sophia Shults (10.

8), Mariah Marolo (6.7), Kayla Lagowy (5.6), Olivia Williams (2.

4). Noteworthy: Bethlehem Liberty is the No. 3 seed out of District 11 and is 0-2 against District 2 teams having lost to Scranton Prep, 75-53, and Abington Heights, 56-47.

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The Hurricanes lost to Easton in the District 11 semifinals before defeating Emmaus, 59-45, to earn the third-seed into the state tournament. ..

.Beatty leads the team in rebounds with 211 and blocks with 39. .

.Sobrinski leads the team with 34 3-pointers. Medina has 31 and Davis 21.

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The Hurricanes average 51.1 points per game and allow 39.8.

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Hazleton Area is averaging 71.4 points per game and allows 38.5.

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The Cougars advanced to the second round of the state tournament last year, when they were eliminated by eventual champion Cardinal O’Hara. ..

.Hazleton Area is shooting 72.9% from the foul line and has made 158 3-pointers.

Reimold leads the team in free throw shooting at 86.2%. Benyo shoots 75.

0% and Bindas shoots 70.8%. Bindas leads the team with 57 3-pointers while Marolo has 29, Reimold has 26 and Lagowy has 20.

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