HS Boys’ Basketball: Marian holds off Williams Valley in Division II clash
Marian's Jake Tom (1) shoots a free throw during a back-and-forth Schuylkill League Division II boys' basketball game at Williams Valley. The Colts defeated the Vikings 48-44 (Photo by Eli Doyle).
TOWER CITY — A blistering start, a furious comeback and a frantic finish all collided Monday evening.
A trio of Marian double-digit scorers helped the Colts outlast Williams Valley, 48-44, in a Schuylkill League Division II boys’ basketball battle at Williams Valley.
“Our good start was definitely an emphasis because our last few games, we haven’t gotten off to great starts,” Marian coach Paul Brutto said with a smile. “Now this one we got off to a good start and things got shaky from then on, but one day we’ll figure out good start — strong middle — strong end. But a victory is a victory, especially down here. This is a tough place to play.”
Gregory Tirpak set the tone early, drilling all five of his 3-pointers in the opening quarter as the Colts surged to a 22-18 lead out of the gate.
Marian (5-6, 2-4) carried that momentum into the second frame, tightening defensively and holding Williams Valley (5-6, 3-3) to just two points in the quarter to build a 31-20 halftime advantage.
Williams Valley came out of the locker room with renewed energy and erased the deficit in a hurry.
The Vikings opened the second half on an 11-0 run, sparked by Bryce Zilinski, who scored six points during the burst. Koen Zilinski added a 3-pointer and Chris Dickerson chipped in two points as Williams Valley flipped the momentum and pulled back into the game.
Mitchell Knock halted the run with a basket for Marian, steadying the Colts during a stretch where illness had forced several players to step into extended roles.
“We got some key defensive rebounds throughout the half, which was nice because we’ve really been getting killed on the boards,” Brutto said. “(Williams Valley) had some points off second-chance shots. And also, the mental toughness to hang in there because they went on a nice run. The game got tight, we got a couple nice steals, and we ran our out-of-bounds play really nice to get Mitchell that ball.”
Knock finished with 12 points, while James Cannon added six key points as Marian weathered the Vikings’ surge.
Bryce Zilinski collected seven points in the third quarter, including a split pair at the foul line, as Williams Valley headed into the final period trailing the Colts, 37-34.
The fourth quarter turned into a possession-by-possession chess match, featuring five lead changes.
Justin De La Cruz banked in a long jumper to tie the game at 44 with 1:50 remaining. Jake Tom then split a pair of free throws to give Marian a slim edge and, after a defensive stop, delivered a perfectly placed inbound pass to a wide-open Knock, who finished through contact for a decisive and-one to seal the victory.
Tirpak led Marian with 15 points, all from beyond the arc, while De La Cruz chipped in 11.
Williams Valley was paced by Bryce Zilinski’s 12 points, with Dickerson adding 10 and Evan Achenbach scoring eight. The Vikings have been without key senior guard Brady Shomper since suffering an injury early in the season.
“They’re clichés because they’re true,” Brutto said. “We have a little over a month before the playoffs start rolling around. We need to improve our offensive execution and taking care of the ball offensively.”
Game Summary
Marian 48, Williams Valley 44
MARIAN (48) — Shigo 0 0-0 0, Tom 0 2-6 2, Ju. De La Cruz 5 0-0 11, Acosta 1 0-0 2, Tirpak 5 0-2 15, Knock 5 1-1 12, Cann0n 3 0-2 6. Totals 19 3-11 48.
WILLIAMS VALLEY (44) — Boykins 0 0-0 0, Rodriguez 2 0-0 5, Dickerson 4 1-1 10, Rautzahn 0 0-0 0, Achenbach 3 1-3 8, Kandybowski 2 1-2 4, B. Zilinski 5 2-3 12, K. Zilinski 2 0-0 5. Totals 18 4-9 44.
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
| Mar (5-6, 2-4) | 22 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 48 |
| WV (5-6, 3-3) | 18 | 2 | 14 | 10 | 44 |
