Tri-Valley's Trey Porter (3) shoots a free throw during a Schuylkill League Division II boys' basketball game at Nativity. (Photo by Eli Doyle)

POTTSVILLE — Tri-Valley once again showed why it sits atop the Schuylkill League Division II standings Friday night.

Braeden Doyle scored a game-high 30 points as Tri-Valley edged Nativity 75-71 in a tightly contested league matchup atop Lawton’s Hill that featured multiple momentum swings, a milestone moment and late-game drama.

“I talk to him night-in and night-out about taking the team on his shoulders,” Dawgs coach Mike Masser said. “I talked to him at halftime and I want the ball in his hands when there are big moments, and he did. He had two big points — he went in the lane and knocked down a little jumper and then the foul shots. He just finds a way to keep the team on his shoulders.”

The opening quarter set the tone for what became a back-and-forth battle. Trey Keating scored inside late to give Nativity (7-10, 6-5) a brief 12-10 lead, but Tri-Valley (17-1, 11-0) answered when Cooper Carl found Doyle cutting down the lane for a tying layup as the period ended.

The second quarter belonged early to Nativity — and to Keating.

Keating capped a 9-2 Hilltoppers run with a 3-pointer that pushed Nativity in front and made him the school’s all-time leading scorer. He surpassed Erika Porter’s previous mark of 2,064 career points and finished the night with 29, giving him 2,081 for his career.

Tri-Valley responded quickly.

Doyle sparked a 5-0 run with a pull-up jumper and a 3-pointer to swing momentum back toward the Dawgs. Owen Miller followed with an and-one finish, but two costly Tri-Valley turnovers allowed Nativity to extend its lead to 38-29 with 1:29 remaining in the half.

The Dawgs didn’t stop barking.

Doyle scored inside, Porter added a second-chance bucket and Gavin Klock split a pair of free throws as Tri-Valley trimmed the deficit to 38-33 at the break.

The third quarter turned into a grind.

Doyle powered in a layup midway through the period to cut the lead to one and force a Nativity timeout. Moments later, Kingsley Johnson knocked down a 3-pointer to give Tri-Valley its first lead of the half. The teams traded empty possessions and defensive stops down the stretch, entering the fourth quarter tied at 51.

The final quarter delivered the drama.

“We talked about it early on when I called a timeout,” Masser said about the tense fourth quarter. “We haven’t been in these situations too much this season, but if we’re supposed to be one of these ‘good teams,’ this is where we have to show we’re a good team. We we’re down maybe eight or nine at one point — we could have folded and left. We sucked it up — we started doing things a little better. This is what the turnout is.”

After a stretch of empty trips on both ends, Doyle cleaned up a second-chance basket to put Tri-Valley ahead. Keating answered immediately with a deep 3 to reclaim the lead for Nativity, but the Dawgs continued to apply pressure.

Doyle buried a corner 3 to make it 59-56, then followed with another triple to extend the lead. Miller added a transition basket, and Tri-Valley’s defense forced multiple empty possessions as the Bulldogs slowly created separation.

Nativity made one final push.

Owen Holley drilled a corner 3, Keating added another from deep and Jake Bowman knocked down a clutch opposite-corner 3 with 3.1 seconds remaining to pull the Hilltoppers within two. Porter calmly sealed the outcome at the free-throw line in the final seconds.

For the Dawgs, Miller added 13 points, Porter finished with 12 and Johnson chipped in nine.

“I felt like Kingsley (Johnson) stepped up, and they all had a role,” Masser said. “Owen (Miller) took care of the ball better int he second half. I thought Gavin (Klock) did a good job guarding Trey (Keating). Trey’s a tough guy to defend. Cooper (Carl) on the boards. It was a team win.”

Keating paced Nativity with a team-high 29 points, Jake Bowman added 17 and Nick Clarke and Layne Pasker each scored eight.

It was another heavyweight league battle that lived up to its billing this week — and another reminder that when closing time arrives, Tri-Valley knows exactly how to finish.

Game Summary

Tri-Valley 75, Nativity 71

TRI-VALLEY (75) — Carl 2 1-2 5, Miller 4 5-7 13, Porter 3 6-8 12, Johnson 3 1-2 9, Doyle 12 3-3 30, Klock 2 1-2 6. Totals 26 17-24 75.

NATIVITY (71) — Clarke 4 0-0 8, Bowman 4 6-6 17, Pasker 4 0-0 8, Lutkanin 2 0-3 4, Swartz 0 0-0 0, Holley 1 0-0 3, Keating 11 1-3 29, Shimko 1 0-0 2. Totals 27 7-12 71.

3-point FGs: Johnson 2, Doyle 3, Klock, Bowman 3, Holley, Keating 6

Officials: J. Dean, Shober, Merwine

JV Score: Nativity 48-46