LANSFORD - Mahanoy Area gathered together at center court of the Panther Valley Middle School gymnasium Saturday to hoist a championship trophy.
The Golden Bears hope it is the first of many this season.
Tournament Most Valuable Player Lary McNeil scored a game-high 18 points and Mahanoy Area's defense turned in a smothering performance in a 62-23 rout of Panther Valley in the Panther Valley Tip-Off Championship game.
Jason Richmond added 11 points, three assists and three steals, while Tyler Cavenas scored 10 points as the Golden Bears (2-0) used a 6-0 run late in the first quarter to built a 19-6 early lead.
It was the third consecutive year Mahanoy Area played in the Panther Valley Tournament title game, beating Jim Thorpe 44-29 in 2011 and losing to Marian 45-43 on a last-second shot last season.
It finished off an impressive start for the Golden Bears, who opened the tournament with a 52-30 victory over Jim Thorpe on Friday. The weekend performance came off two bad showings in scrimmages last weekend.
"We've been slacking lately, but we picked it up yesterday and today," McNeil said of the turnaround.
Mahanoy Area's inside-outside offense was working to perfection, especially in the first half when the Golden Bears hit 16-of-29 (55 percent), including an 8-for-17 performance from 3-point range.
McNeil and Richmond both hit three 3s in the game while Brian Miller had two as Mahanoy Area hit 11 3-pointers on the night. McNeil also had seven rebounds and three assists on the night.
"We really did move the ball well and we are buying into all the stuff now," Golden Bears coach Mickey Holland said. "We are setting the screens, we are making the cuts, we are looking in, so I am really happy with that."
Cavenas scored eight of his points in the first half, including back-to-back buckets late in the first quarter after the Panthers had cut an early deficit to 13-6 on a three-point play by Jake Szczecina.
McNeil finished off the quarter, scoring on a reverse layup to give Mahanoy Area a 19-6 lead.
Defensively, the Golden Bears held Panther Valley, which was playing in its first tournament title game since 2007, to 4-for-33 (12 percent) shooting in the game. The Panthers also turned the ball over 18 times.
McNeil was responsible for guarding Szczecina most of the game and held him to nine points after he scored 32 in Friday's 71-63 victory over Marian in the first round.
"I think we all played together and played help," McNeil said of the defense.
Panther Valley shot 1-for-13 in the second half, a showing that perplexed Panthers coach Patrick Crampsie.
"I don't know what to say about that," he said. "I never thought we would go through a second half of basketball with one field goal.
"I never seen anything like it."
Consolation game Marian 54 Jim Thorpe 37
LANSFORD - Anthony Agosti scored 15 of his game-high 19 points in the first half as the Colts got up early and rolled past the Olympians.
Agosti, who scored 26 during Marian's loss to Panther Valley on Friday, scored 12 straight points in the first quarter as the Colts got out to a 19-6 lead and never looked back.
Nico Agosti added points for Marian. Bryce Micciche had 10 points to lead Jim Thorpe.