Rivalry Renewed: Undefeated Dallas Hosts Hazleton Area in Back Mountain Showdown
By: Matt Flanagan | SportzWire | January 7, 2026 | Photo courtesy Bob Gaetano
DALLAS — A familiar rivalry with a new layer of intrigue takes center stage Thursday night as Dallas hosts Hazleton Area in a highly anticipated girls basketball matchup. Two seasons ago, when Molly Walsh was healthy, Dallas found a way to get the better of the Cougars. Since then, Hazleton Area has established itself as one of the most dominant programs in the region, setting the tone with pace, pressure, and depth. This time, however, the Mountaineers enter undefeated and eager to defend their home floor in the Back Mountain.
The spotlight will naturally fall on two of the area’s elite scorers. Walsh, now fully healthy after missing all of last season with a torn ACL, has returned as the emotional and competitive engine for Dallas and recently surpassed the 1,000-point milestone for her career. On the other side, Hazleton Area is led by Kaitlyn Bindas, who also reached 1,000 career points this season and continues to power a Cougar offense that has overwhelmed opponents over the past two years. Hazleton’s depth and tempo have turned many games into one-sided affairs, forcing teams to match their speed and physicality for all 32 minutes.
Dallas believes it has the balance to meet that challenge. Along with Walsh’s scoring and leadership, Odessa Kanton provides a strong interior presence capable of controlling the paint and altering matchups on both ends of the floor. With an unblemished record and confidence building by the week, the Mountaineers see Thursday night as more than just another game — it’s a measuring stick against the area’s standard and another chapter in a rivalry that continues to deliver.
