Down 12-0 No Problem Wolfpack Roar Back to Punch Arena Ticket
By: Justin Bradley | SportzWire | February 24, 2026 | Photo courtesy Justin Focus
Wilkes-Barre Area has learned something about itself this season.
Panic isn’t in the DNA.
Not after Tuesday night.
In a District 2/4 Class 6A subregional semifinal loaded with emotion and unfinished business, top-seeded Wilkes-Barre Area erased a nightmare start and powered past No. 4 Hazleton Area, 52–47, earning a trip to Mohegan Arena.
And they did it the hard way.
Hazleton… the same team that broke Wolfpack hearts 44–43 to close the regular season… stormed out to a 12–0 lead. The building tightened. The memory of that one-point loss lingered.
But senior guard David Jannuzzi never blinked.
He believed in the veterans. He trusted the younger pieces. And he took control.
Jannuzzi finished with a game-high 17 points, including 14 in the second half, willing Wilkes-Barre Area back into the fight possession by possession. When the game slowed, he attacked. When it tightened, he delivered.
He wasn’t alone.
Mike Keating added 16 points, knocking down two threes and giving WBA a steady scoring punch all night. Achilles Fuentes chipped in 8 points, while Luciano Jannuzzi added 5 to round out a balanced effort. The Wolfpack buried five three-pointers and steadily chipped away until the momentum fully flipped.
After trailing 15–6 at the end of the first quarter, Wilkes-Barre Area outscored Hazleton in each of the final three frames including an 18-point fourth quarter that sealed it.
Hazleton didn’t fold.
The Cougars were led by Kendrick Ortiz and Oscady Vasquez, who each scored 13 points, keeping pressure on the Wolfpack throughout. YoYo Moran added 10, and Eddie Macko hit two big threes to help Hazleton stay within reach.
But this time, the closing moments belonged to Wilkes-Barre Area.
Free throws. Defensive stops. Senior leadership.
The Wolfpack finished 9-for-18 from the line and matched Hazleton with 19 field goals, but the difference was composure and a senior guard who refused to let the season end at home.
Now, Wilkes-Barre Area advances to face Delaware Valley, who stunned No. 2 Williamsport in the other semifinal. The prize? A championship game under the bright lights at Mohegan Arena Saturday night at 8pm.
And after digging out of a 12-point hole to start the night, the Wolfpack look like a team that believes no deficit is too deep.
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