SL Boys’ Quarterfinals: Pottsville clamps down, pulls away from Nativity
Pottsville's Christian Alvarez prepares to shoot a free throw (Photo by Eli Doyle).
POTTSVILLE — What began as a fast-starting upset bid quickly turned into a defensive clinic as Pottsville’s pressure, depth and interior strength flipped the game on its head.
The Crimson Tide’s relentless defense turned a competitive opening into a runaway Saturday evening, pulling away from Nativity for a 64-21 victory in a Schuylkill League boys’ basketball quarterfinal playoff game at Martz Hall.
“We knew we had a challenge,” Pottsville coach Tyler Heffner said. “That challenge got us to be a little more intense, a little more focused on what we had to do. I thought it was a really good team effort tonight. All five guys were physical at all times. I kind of thought we could wear (Nativity) down if we did what we wanted to do, and we executed really well.”
The Hilltoppers (11-12) came out aggressive and confident, scoring the game’s first six points and briefly dictating the tempo.
But once Pottsville (17-6) settled in defensively, the tone of the night shifted dramatically — and permanently.
A backdoor layup by Davey Kunstek and back-to-back 3-pointers from Ryder Bowers swung the momentum early, giving Pottsville an 8-6 lead. Christian Alvarez followed with six points to close the opening quarter as the Tide edged ahead 14-11 after one.
From that point on, Pottsville’s defense completely took over.
“It felt like in the second quarter we started getting out in transition on them,” Heffner said. “I thought we were wearing on them a little bit, and if we got off to a good start in the second half, we could really put it away. Our kids responded. We had some guys step up and play really well. We’ve been on Davey a lot — he’s a very hard worker — but we’ve emphasized being physical inside and getting the ball in the paint. We knew if we could get it in early, we could get some good looks outside later.”
Nativity did not make a field goal after the first quarter, scoring its final 13 points entirely at the free-throw line. The Tide’s pressure, length and rotation-heavy defense smothered passing lanes and eliminated clean looks, forcing rushed possessions and heavily contested shots.
Pottsville capitalized on the stops, steadily building separation. The Tide pushed the lead to 31-15 by halftime, then blew the game open in the third quarter. Bowers drilled another 3 to open the half, and Pottsville outscored Nativity 21-5 in the period to remove any doubt.
Inside, Alvarez and Kunstek were dominant, controlling the paint on both ends and finishing through contact. Alvarez led all scorers with 22 points, while Kunstek added 16. Bowers finished with 11, knocking down three triples that stretched the defense.
Pottsville’s defensive effort was bolstered by its depth, with Andrew Allen, Max Clews and JuJu Bainbridge providing energy and physicality without any drop-off as the Tide continued to apply pressure.
For Nativity, Trey Keating accounted for 18 of the team’s 21 points, going 12-for-17 at the free-throw line, but the Hilltoppers were unable to generate consistent offense once Pottsville locked in defensively.
The win sends Pottsville to Wednesday’s Schuylkill League semifinals against Division II champion Tri-Valley (20-2), while serving as a statement performance built on defense, depth and interior control.
“Enjoy tonight, because come tomorrow we have a really, really good Tri-Valley team that does a lot of good things,” Heffner said. “They can get out and run the floor, so it’s a whole new challenge — and we’re excited for it.”
Game Summary
Schuylkill League Quarterfinals
Pottsville 64, Nativity 21
At Martz Hall
NATIVITY (21) — Clarke 0 0-0 0, Bowman 0 0-0 0, Pasker 0 1-2 1, Lutzkanin 1 0-0 2, Swartz 0 0-0 0, Kalkiewicz 0 0-0 0, Kramer 0 0-0 0, Holley 0 0-0 0, Keating 3 12-17 18, Shimko 0 0-0 0. Totals 4 13-19 21.
POTTSVILLE (64) — Hobbs 1 0-0 3, McGinley 2 0-0 5, Allen 0 0-0 0, Herndon 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 1 0-0 2, Alvarez 9 4-4 22, Bowers 4 0-0 11, Kunstek 6 4-5 16, Clews 0 0-0 0, Kimber 1 0-0 3, Viars 0 0-0 0, Oswald 0 2-2 2, Baker 0 0-0 0, Leskin 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 10-11 64.
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nat (11-12) | 11 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 21 |
| Po (17-6) | 14 | 17 | 21 | 12 | 52 |
