Paupack boys basketball team captures Jaycees Holiday Tournament title

HONESDALE — Wallenpaupack Area’s boys basketball team held off a furious Honesdale rally to capture the crown at the 65th annual Jaycees Holiday Tournament.

Nick VanBuskirk and Diego Adames led the way for the Buckhorns, who erupted for 24 points in the third quarter to seal the deal on a 52-45 victory.

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“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” said rookie head coach Kevin Miller. “These kids overcame a lot of adversity and showed amazing resilience. I’m really happy for them.”

This year’s event took place Saturday, Dec. 27 and Monday, Dec. 29 after being postponed due to wintry weather. But while it was cold outside, the atmosphere inside the Red Palace was sizzling both nights.

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With wins in the semifinals over East Stroudsburg South and in the finals against Honesdale, Paupack improved its overall record to 3-4 on the season.

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The Buckhorns will be back in action Jan. 3 on the road versus West Scranton. Opening tip for this Lackawanna League contest is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Chasing hoops history

Paupack took care of business in the semifinals on Saturday night, muscling its way to a 45-37 win over East Stroudsburg South.

Joseph Yeo paced a balanced Buckhorns’ attack with 11 points including three deep treys. Adames contributed 9 points to the cause, while VanBuskirk added 8.

Meanwhile, Honesdale punched its ticket to the title tilt via a 56-39 decision over Western Wayne. The Hornets were led by the backcourt tandem of Levi Martin (14 pts) and Jacob Ramos (11 pts).

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Monday’s championship game was played before a raucous SRO crowd at the Red Palace. Honesdale built a 10-9 lead after one quarter and then extended that advantage to 24-21 at intermission.

Connor Tirney ignited the Red & Black attack from the perimeter and on the fast break. A junior who splits his time between small forward and shooting guard, Tirney drained four treys and finished up the night with 19 points.

For his efforts, Tirney was named to the Jaycees All-Tournament Team. Despite Tirney’s hot hand, though, Paupack turned the tide on this game after the break.

Thanks in large part to the stellar play of Adames and VanBuskirk, the Buckhorns outscored the Hornets by a margin of 24-16 in the third period.

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Adames powered his way to 9 points and 11 rebounds. He also handed out 7 assists, blocked a shot and took a charge on his way to a spot on the All-Tournament Team.

“Diego is just an awesome kid and I’m super proud of him,” Miller said. “He’s our leader out there. Diego works his butt off on defense and he’s extremely tough when he attacks the basket on offense.”

VanBuskirk rattled the rims for a team-best 19 points. He added 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a block en route to being voted the tourney’s Most Valuable Player.

“Nick is a physical specimen,” Miller said. “He’s big, strong and super tough. Nick is an incredible force inside and when he puts his mind to something there’s no stopping him.”

Paupack carried a 45-40 lead into the fourth quarter, then ratcheted up the defensive pressure from end line to end line. The Buckhorns held the Hornets to just 5 points in the final stanza to pull out a 52-45 victory.

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Landon Shamberger chipped in with 8 points, while Yeo added 5. Grady Liddy (4 pts), Jaymison Ostrowski (4 pts) and Ed Kiesendahl (3 pts) rounded out the scoring.

Building momentum

Paupack’s victory at the Jaycees Holiday Tournament is the 17th in school history, trailing only Honesdale (18) on the all-time list.

The Buckhorns now have a couple of days to savor their latest triumph before the Lackawanna League season begins in earnest. They will once again be competing in Division I against the likes of Abington Heights, Scranton Prep and Valley View.

Last winter, Paupack posted an overall record of 11-11 and finished fifth in the District 2 power rankings. The Bucks earned an invitation to the playoffs, but were eliminated in the Class 5A semifinals by Pittston Area.

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“I’m really excited because the way we played in this tournament shows that these kids are starting to learn how to win,” Miller said. “If they keep working hard and keep improving, who knows what will happen during league play.”

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wallenpaupack Area boys baskeytball Jaycees Holiday Tournament