North Schuylkill pulled off a dramatic upset Friday night, defeating visiting Pottsville 52-50 in a Schuylkill League Division 1 matchup that came down to the final seconds.
Entering the game, Pottsville sat second in the league standings at 9-1 and was looking to rebound from its first league loss earlier in the week to Minersville. North Schuylkill, meanwhile, was 5-5 in league play and sitting fourth in the division.
The Spartans got off to a strong start, taking a 12-7 lead after the first quarter and scoring an 18-16 edge in the second to go into halftime with a narrow 30-23 advantage.
Pottsville came out firing in the third quarter, opening the period on a 13-1 run to grab a six-point lead. However, North Schuylkill responded late in the quarter to close the gap, heading into the fourth trailing by just one, 39-38.
The fourth quarter turned into a back-and-forth battle. With just two minutes remaining, the game was tied at 47-47. Pottsville went cold down the stretch, failing to convert a field goal over the final two minutes.
A basket by Jude Maziekas and a free throw from Caden Mengel gave North Schuylkill a 50-47 lead with 12 seconds remaining. Pottsville’s Ryder Bower answered in clutch fashion, knocking down a three-pointer with six seconds left to tie the game at 50.
The Crimson Tide then fouled to try to regain possession, but Xavier McNally calmly knocked down one free throw on two separate trips to the line, pushing the Spartans ahead 52-50.
After a timeout, Pottsville attempted to move the ball quickly up the court, but Mengel came up with a key steal as time expired, sealing the upset for North Schuylkill.
Pottsville remains second in the Schuylkill League Division with a 9-2 league record and is now 13-5 overall. The Crimson Tide will look to bounce back Saturday when they travel to Williamsport.
North Schuylkill improves to 6-5 in league play and 11-7 overall. The Spartans will look to build on their momentum Tuesday when they travel to Blue Mountain. With the win, North Schuylkill also clinched a spot in the District XI 4A Playoffs.
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pottsville | 7 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 50 |
| North Schuylkill | 12 | 18 | 8 | 14 | 52 |
| North Schuylkill | PTS | Pottsville | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier McNally | 13 | Christian Alvarez | 22 |
| Jude Maziekas | 10 | Ryder Bower | 13 |
| Julian Nelson | 10 | Davey Kunstek | 6 |
| Cam Kacilowicz | 5 | Colin McGinley | 4 |
| Logan Damiter | 5 | Chris Hobbs | 3 |
| Raylin Cabral | 4 | Max Clews | 2 |
| Dylan Cairo | 3 | ||
| Caden Mengel | 2 | ||
| Team Total | 52 | Team Total | 50 |
