Carr scored his only two points off an assist by A.J. Halford to begin the second quarter. Pottsville responded as Alvarez found Watkins slashing through the lane for an easy bucket. After a long stretch of empty possessions, Montone hit his second triple of the contest with 2:34 to play in the half to put the Tide ahead 20-15. Following an empty possession from the Battlin' Miners, JuJu Bainbridge grabbed an offensive board and dished to a slashing Montone for two more points. Ivy intercepted a loose ball save attempt by Kostishak and netted an easy bucket as Pottsville built momentum.

Bethea connected with his third 3-pointer of the game with 18.0 remaining in the half to stop the bleeding for the Miners, but the Crimson Tide led 24-18 heading into halftime.

After the break, the action was heating up and capacity crowd at Martz Hall was not disappointed.

Pottsville turned the ball over to begin the third quarter after successfully not turning the ball over once in the previous quarter. Bethea connected with yet another 3 as Minersville quickly capitalized and cut the deficit to three.

Ryder Bowers responded with a 3-pointer for the Tide and Bainbridge poked loose a steal and went the other way for an easy layup as Pottsville was feeling the momentum again. After an empty Battlin' Miners' possession, Alvarez scooped up an offensive rebound and watched his putback fall as the Tide went ahead 31-21 with 5:09 left in the frame. Jordan Bowers pulled the momentum plug after netting two free throws for Minersville, Dawsyn Manning, a senior, went on to nail two deep 3's as the Battlin' Miners crept back into the contest.

Montone and Bethea exchanged buckets as Pottsville remained on top, 35-33, at the end of the third quarter.

Montone and the Crimson Tide quickened the pace as the fourth quarter started. The senior netted a post-fade before grabbing a steal and going the distance to increase Pottsville's lead to 39-33 only 40.0 into the quarter. Jordan Bowers added a strong two for the Miners and Montone dished to Bainbridge, who made his layup and earned trip to the line where he finished the 3-point-play. Fastforward and Alvarez passed to Montone on a give-and-go that Alvarez took to the rim to make it 44-35.

Jordan Bowers collected an assist to Logan Hutsko for two points and Bethea added two loud blocks at the net. With time ticking down and the fouls stacking up for Minersville, Pottsville had the opportunity to begin putting the game away. Watkins and Montone split a pair of free throws for the Tide, Kostishak answered with a 3 for the Battlin' Miners, and then Montone added went 2-for-2 from the stripe in his second trip of the quarter.

Alvarez split a pair of free throws before Manning respond with another triple as Minersville cut Pottsville's lead to 49-43 with 12. 8 left in regulation. Watkins split another pair on a trip to the stripe for the Crimson Tide and Manning fouled out for the Miners. Pottsville rolled to a 50-43 victory and collected its 13th league title since 2000, and first since 2022.

"I always compare these basketball seasons to a rollercoaster ride," Wartella said. "There are so many ‘highs' and so many ‘lows.' I always worrying with high school kids coming off a loss, how are they going to respond?" This group, every time, would bounce back after a loss and just learn from our mistakes. I can't stress enough how laser focused we were for this week. It was almost like (Pottsville) knew they destined to be here and find a way to win this game tonight.

"(Minersville) is so well coached. There are so many good players on that team. Their defense plays so hard, their size is what concerned me the most. They had so many big bodies, we were worried about rebounding. Obviously, a lot of good shooters and they are a very good team, look at their record. Look at their scores this year, there is no question they are a great team. Again, credit to our kids for find a way to win this."

For Minersville, Bethea finished with a team-high 15 points. The Battlin' Miners did indeed out-rebound the Crimson Tide 26-22, but Minersville also committed nine turnovers, compared to Pottsville' six.

With the district playoff tournaments on the horizon, the Crimson Tide sit atop District 11 Class 5A.

"We're definitely going to enjoy this and celebrate over the weekend, and then it is onto districts, Wartella said. " We're to No. 1 seed going in and we feel like we have a good shot to win that as well, so hopefully we get our kid's attention back next week and attack district like we did the Schuylkill League."

Game Summary

Schuylkill League Boys' Basketball

League Championship

At Martz Hall

POTTSVILLE (50) - Bainbridge 2 1-1 5, McGinley 0 0-0 0, Watkins 2 1-4 5, Alvarez 4 1-2 11, Montone 7 4-6 20, R. Bowers 2 0-0 6, Clews 0 0-0 0, Ivy 1 1-2 3. Totals 18 8-15 50.

MINERSVILLE (43) - Hutsko 2 0-0 4, Manning 3 0-0 9, Bethea 5 1-2 15, Kostishak 3 0-0 7, Halford 0 0-0 0, Carr 1 0-0 2, J. Bowers 2 2-2 6. Totals 16 3-4 43.

Potts (19-6)   14 ... 10 ... 11 ... 15 - 50

Min (21-4)   10 ... 8 ... 15 ... 10 - 43

3-point FGs: Alvarez 2, Montone 2, R. Bowers 2, Manning 3, Bethea 4, Kostishak

Officials: Groody, Rizzo, Towle

POTTSVILLE - It was a time to celebrate for the Crimson Tide Friday night at Martz Hall.

Pottsville (19-6; 11-3) secured their 13th Schuylkill League boys basketball championship since 2000 as they took down Minersville, 50-43.

"I am so happy for this team," said Pottsville head coach Jake Wartella. "I don't think I have been prouder of a team than this group."

It was a team effort once again for the Tide. Senior guard Letrel Montone scored a game-high 20 points, senior Derek Watkins scored five points to go along with seven rebounds and three steals and junior Christian Alvarez poured in 11 points.

"Our whole team wanted it," said Montone. "I never lost faith in the game, I never lost faith in us."

The first quarter went back-and-forth. The Tide got out to a 6-2 lead as Ryder Bowers nailed a triple.

The Battlin' Miners (21-4; 12-2) came right back and took a 7-6 lead off a Jordan Bowers bucket.

Pottsville ended the frame on a 7-4 run as Alvarez swished a triple with two seconds left to give the Tide a 14-10 lead after one quarter.

"We knew we had to come out with a lot of energy," said Alvarez. "Minersville is really good and if we didn't bring that energy we weren't going to succeed."

Minersville cut the lead to 16-14 in the second quarter as Logan Hutsko connected on a layup.

After a London Ivy free throw made it a 17-14 game, it was Montone time. The guard went on his own 5-0 run, knocking down a triple and scoring on a layup to put the Tide up 22-15 late in the frame.

"Letrel is a true senior leader," said Wartella. "He is leading us to victory right now, he is our best ball handler and defender."

Ivy added two more points for the Tide with 39 seconds left. Minersville junior guard Shazier Bethea swished in a triple before the buzzer to cut the Pottsville lead to 24-18 at the half.

The Pottsville boys basketball team poses for photos after beating Minersville at Martz Hall during the Schuylkill League basketball championship, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)

Pottsville came out hot in the third quarter as they started on a 7-3 run. Alvarez grabbed an offensive rebound and finished at the rim to put the Tide up 31-21 which forced a Minersville timeout.

Pottsville knew their abilities and knew they could win the championship.

Down 10, the Battlin' Miners responded, closing the frame out on a 12-4 run.

Senior Dawsyn Manning came up huge, hitting two three-pointers to cut the lead to 33-31.

After a Montone steal and finish with 30 seconds left, Bethea came down court and connected on a tough layup, giving the Minersville fans renewed hope as they trailed 35-33 heading into the final frame.

Wartella credited his players for staying poised when Minersville made their run. He noted his team faced some adversity and found a way to battle back.

Montone had it going in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points for the Tide including four clutch free throws.

The Tide got their fans on their feet as they went on a  6-2 to run to start the quarter. Montone found JuJu Bainbridge down low for a three-point opportunity. Bainbridge hit the finish and free throw, putting Pottsville up 41-35.

"I relied on my kids to make plays," said Wartella. "They found a way to dig down and find a way to win."

Montone knocked down free throws to put the Tide up 48-40 with 43.9 seconds left.

Alvarez closed it out going 1-for-2 from the line to secure the league title.

The Tide held Minersville to 10 points in the final frame, outscoring the Battlin' Miners 15-10.

"We talked and we played real hard," said Montone. "We have so much talent on this team, we got the job done."

Bethea led Minersville with 15 points, who will be the number two seed in the District 11 3A playoffs.

Pottsville will now look to win a District 11 title. The Tide will enter the tournament as the number one seed in the 5A bracket.

"We are going for the championship and we know we can win it," said Alvarez.

Pottsville (50) - Bainbridge 2 1-1 5, McGinley 0 0-0 0, Watkins 2 1-4 5, Alvarez 4 1-2 11, Clews 0 0-0 0, Montone 7 4-6 20, Bowers 2 0-0 6, Ivy 1 1-2 3.

Minersville (43) - Hutsko 2 0-0 4, Manning 3 0-0 9, Bethea 5 1-2 15, Kostishak 3 0-0 7, Halford 0 0-0 0, Carr 1 0-0 2, Bowers 2 2-2 6.

Potts (19-6) - 14 10 11 15 - 50

Min (21-4) - 10 8 15 10 - 43

View the full photo gallery here.

"I don't think anyone in our locker room is satisfied," said Pottsville head coach Jake Wartella. "We are going to prepare our best and play our best Friday hopefully."

Minersville will enter the finale on an eight-game winning streak, led by Carr down low and the floor general, junior guard Shazier Bethea.

Bethea leads Minersville in scoring, averaging 15.7 points per game. Carr has been dominant for the Battlin' Miners, scoring 14 points to go along with nine assists in the semifinal win over Nativity.

Pottsville will enter the title game with wins in seven out of their last eight games. Senior guard Derek Watkins has made an impact for Pottsville, averaging 13.5 points per game so far throughout the tournament.

Junior guard Christian Alvarez has been solid all year for Pottsville, leading the team averaging 14.7 points per game.

"Derek has been great the last couple weeks," said Wartella. "That is why we have been winning games."

The Battlin' Miners know what it will take to come out on top.

"We are going to have to play better on Friday for sure," said Mullaney. "We have to stay in our rotation and stay out of foul trouble."

Expect Martz Hall to be filled Friday night as a Schuylkill League champion will be crowned. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

By Toron James | tjames@republicanherald.com | Republican Herald

UPDATED: February 10, 2025 at 11:47 AM EST

POTTSVILLE - The Crimson Tide are Schuylkill League semifinals bound.

Pottsville (17-6) took down Tri-Valley (16-7) 63-55 in the Schuylkill league boys basketball quarterfinals Saturday at Martz Hall.

"We wanted to come out and play together," said JuJu Bainbridge.

The Tide started the game on a 5-0 run with all the points belonging to Bainbridge.

Bainbridge had it going, finishing the contest with 14 points and five assists.

Tri-Valley cut the Pottsville lead to 11-8 in the first quarter when Braeden Doyle connected on a layup. The Tide got another two before Tri-Valley came storming back. Blake Schwartz scored on a put-back at the buzzer to cut Pottsville's lead to 15-13.

Christian Alvarez came out hot for the Tide in the second frame. The junior scored five straight points to extend the Tide's lead to 23-14. Alvarez scored eight of his 17 points in the frame.

"My coaches and teammates had confidence in me," said Alvarez. "The coaches really got me involved."

Tri-Valley's Trey Porter scored on a layup to cut Pottsville's lead to 23-16 but Letrel Montone scored on back-to-back buckets to put the Tide up 28-16.

Doyle nailed two free throws to pull the Bulldogs within 10. Tide's Derek Watkins split the defense to put the Tide up 30-19 with 33 seconds left. The Pottsville defense stood tall as the Tide carried a 30-20 lead at the break

Tri-Valley junior Braeden Doyle (14) puts the ball up as Pottsville beats Tri-Valley 63-55 at Martz Hall, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)

"We take very big pride in our defense," said Bainbridge. "Everyday we work on it, defense wins championships."

Wartella preached to his team that they had to win the first couple minutes coming out of the half. They listened. Bainbridge nailed a triple to put the Tide up 35-25 midway through the third frame.

"It's going to take team effort to win games like this," said Pottsville head coach Jake Wartella. "Guys stepped up, made some big shots and key plays on defense."

"I shot with confidence and found my rhythm," said Bainbridge.

Tri-Valley did not back down as they cut the lead to 35-30 thanks to a Doyle three-point play. The Tide responded as Bainbridge hit another three to put the Tide up 38-30.

"JuJu gave us a spark," said Wartella. "He hit some shots and we know he is capable of that."

After the Tri-Valley bucket cut the lead to 42-35, Pottsville Colin McGinley drained a three at the third-quarter buzzer.

Montone and Watkins each scored seven points in the final frame for Pottsville.

Owen Miller got hot, scoring seven points for Tri-Valley who clawed back. The Bulldogs cut the lead to 50-43 midway through the quarter as Schwartz finished at the rim.

Pottsville knew Tri-Valley would make a run but they didn't lose their confidence. The Tide extended their lead to 54-46 with 1:41 left in the game.

"I am so proud of the team," said Wartella. "We found some ways to make some runs today."

The Tide went up 59-49 late in the frame, smelling victory. Pottsville closed the game out with free throws to secure the 63-55 win.

"In the second half our defense got clicking which turned into offense," said Alvarez.

"We are here working. It's amazing to come out here and win," said Bainbridge.

The Tide will face the Division I number one seed Mahanoy Area in the semifinal clash at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Pottsville (63) - Alvarez 7 1-2 17, Bainbridge 4 3-4 14, McGinley 1 0-0 3, Watkins 4 3-4 11, Montone 3 4-5 10, Bowers 2 1-3 5, Clews 0 0-0 0, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0, Ivy 1 1-2 3.

Tri-Valley (55) - Schwartz 4 0-1 8, Miller 2 2-4 8, Porter 7 0-0 17, Straub 0 0-0 0, Raulston 1 1-1 3, Doyle 6 5-7, 18, Wehry 0 0-0 0.

Potts (17-6) - 15 15 15 18 - 63

TV (16-7) - 13 7 15 20 - 55

Christian Alvarez came out hot for the Tide in the second frame. The junior scored five straight points to extend the Tide's lead to 23-14. Alvarez scored eight of his 17 points in the frame.

"My coaches and teammates had confidence in me," said Alvarez. "The coaches really got me involved."

Tri-Valley's Trey Porter scored on a layup to cut Pottsville's lead to 23-16 but Letrel Montone scored on back-to-back buckets to put the Tide up 28-16.

Doyle nailed two free throws to pull the Bulldogs within 10. Tide's Derek Watkins split the defense to put the Tide up 30-19 with 33 seconds left. The Pottsville defense stood tall as the Tide carried a 30-20 lead at the break.

Pottsville senior Letrel Montone (13) dribbles the ball as Pottsville beats Tri-Valley 63-55 at Martz Hall, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)

"We take very big pride in our defense," said Bainbridge. "Everyday we work on it, defense wins championships."

Wartella preached to his team that they had to win the first couple minutes coming out of the half. They listened. Bainbridge nailed a triple to put the Tide up 35-25 midway through the third frame.

"It's going to take team effort to win games like this," said Pottsville head coach Jake Wartella. "Guys stepped up, made some big shots and key plays on defense."

"I shot with confidence and found my rhythm," said Bainbridge.

Tri-Valley did not back down as they cut the lead to 35-30 thanks to a Doyle three-point play. The Tide responded as Bainbridge hit another three to put the Tide up 38-30.

"JuJu gave us a spark," said Wartella. "He hit some shots and we know he is capable of that."

After the Tri-Valley bucket cut the lead to 42-35, Pottsville Colin McGinley drained a three at the third-quarter buzzer.

Montone and Watkins each scored seven points in the final frame for Pottsville.

Owen Miller got hot, scoring seven points for Tri-Valley who clawed back. The Bulldogs cut the lead to 50-43 midway through the quarter as Schwartz finished at the rim.

Pottsville knew Tri-Valley would make a run but they didn't lose their confidence. The Tide extended their lead to 54-46 with 1:41 left in the game.

"I am so proud of the team," said Wartella. "We found some ways to make some runs today."

The Tide went up 59-49 late in the frame, smelling victory. Pottsville closed the game out with free throws to secure the 63-55 win.

"In the second half our defense got clicking which turned into offense," said Alvarez.

"We are here working. It's amazing to come out here and win," said Bainbridge.

The Tide will face the Division I number one seed Mahanoy Area in the semifinal clash at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Pottsville (63) - Alvarez 7 1-2 17, Bainbridge 4 3-4 14, McGinley 1 0-0 3, Watkins 4 3-4 11, Montone 3 4-5 10, Bowers 2 1-3 5, Clews 0 0-0 0, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0, Ivy 1 1-2 3.

Tri-Valley (55) - Schwartz 4 0-1 8, Miller 2 2-4 8, Porter 7 0-0 17, Straub 0 0-0 0, Raulston 1 1-1 3, Doyle 6 5-7, 18, Wehry 0 0-0 0.

Potts (17-6) - 15 15 15 18 - 63

TV (16-7) - 13 7 15 20 - 55

• By Eli Doyle
• February 8, 2025

POTTSVILLE - Christian Alvarez's big second quarter was the key for Pottsville in a wire-to-wire win over Tri-Valley.

Alvarez, a 6-foot-3 junior forward, scored 10 of his team-high 17 points in the second quarter as Pottsville defeated Tri-Valley 63-55 in a Schuylkill League boys' basketball quarterfinals game Saturday at Martz Hall.

"Our kids were in some tough spots defensively, which led to some easy buckets," Crimson Tide coach Jake Wartella said about the Dawgs length. "We feel like we're a little better defensively, but credit to (Tri-Valley). They did some great things offensively and found a way to get some buckets.

"But I'm proud of our kids. They found a way to get a good playoff win and advance to the next round."

Pottsville (17-6) led from the start 5-0 after JuJu Bainbridge hit a 3-pointer and added a pair of free throws. The Crimson Tide didn't surrender the lead all game, but the Dawgs never strayed far.

Blake Schwartz grabbed and offensive rebound and saw his put-back layup fall before the first quarter buzzer for Tri-Valley as the Dawgs trailed 15-13 at the end of the frame.

Alvarez pushed Pottsville's lead to 18-13 as the second quarter kicked off as he netted a 3 off an assist from Bainbridge.

Braeden Doyle split a pair of free for Tri-Valley and Alvarez quickly collected two more points on the other end for the Tide. After a slew of empty possessions on each side, Alvarez hit another 3 with 5:11 left to play before half.

Owen Miller found a slashing Trey Porter for two for the Dawgs before Alvarez went back to work for Pottsville. Alvarez added an offensive rebound and a recycle as the Tide led 25-16 midway through the frame.

Pottsville led 30-20 going into halftime as neither the Crimson Tide nor Tri-Valley were ready to call it.

Bainbridge, a 5-foot-11 junior guard known for his defense, was on fire with the ball in his hands for Pottsville in the third quarter. The junior guard knocked down two 3's, totaled eight points and added a key assist by fighting through a double team to find Colin McGinley for a 3 at the buzzer.

"JuJu does everything well, that is why he's on the court all the time," Wartella said. "He plays great defense, but you saw he could score tonight too. He made some great shots, attacked the rim, made some great passes. He just does everything for us. Again, I'm proud of him and out team."

Unfortunately for the Tide, Tri-Valley's offense was picking up steam.

Doyle collected seven points in the third quarter for the Dawgs, while Porter had five and Matt Raulston added three to match Pottsville with 15 total points in the frame.

With the Crimson Tide leading Tri-Valley 45-35 heading to the fourth quarter, time was running out for a possible Dawgs' comeback.

Letrel Montone and Porter exchanged buckets to begin the final quarter of regulation before Pottsville went empty on their second possession of the frame.

Schwartz then collected four points and another offensive rebound over the next two Tri-Valley possessions. Montone then added two more for the and Doyle countered with two for the Dawgs. Neither team was willing to budge.

Down the stretch, Miller and Gavin Klock both hit 3's for Tri-Valley to cut the Dawgs deficit to eight. Derek Watkins went 2-for-2 from the free throw line for Pottsville before Miller added another 3 to cut the Crimson Tide's lead to 62-55 with under 1:00 to play.

Alvarez split a pair free throw to secure Pottsville's 63-55 victory over Tri-Valley. Bainbridge collected 14 points and Montone added 10.

For the Dawgs, Doyle finished with a game-high 18 points, while Porter chipped in 15.

The Crimson Tide advance to Wednesday's semifinal matchup against Division I co-champion Mahanoy Area (20-2) at Martz Hall at 7:30 p.m.

The Golden Bears and the Tide split their two league contests during the regular season.

POTTSVILLE (63) - Bainbridge 4 3-4 14, McGinley 1 0-0 3, Watkins 4 3-4 11, Alvarez 7 1-2 17, Montone 3 4-5 10, Bowers 2 1-3 5, Clews 0 0-0 0, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0, Ivy 1 1-2 3. Totals 22 13-20 63.

TRI-VALLEY (55) - Schwartz 4 0-1 8, Miller 2 2-4 8, Porter 7 0-0 15, Straub 0 0-0 0, Raulston 1 1-1 3, Doyle 6 5-7 18, Wehry 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 8-13 55.

Potts (17-6)   15 ... 15 ... 15 ... 18 - 63

TV (16-7)   13 ... 7 ... 15 ... 20 - 55

3-point FGs: Bainbridge 3, McGinley, Alvarez 2, Miller 2, Porter, Doyle, Klock

Officials: Strobl, Marquardt, Brown

POTTSVILLE - Pottsville junior forward Christian Alvarez was just finding his footing on the court last year. Now Alvarez has evolved his game averaging a team-high 14.6 points per game for the Tide.

Playing varsity last year helped Alvarez a lot. Pottsville head coach Jake Wartella says that not only did it help to get him used to the varsity level, but he also thinks varsity time as a sophomore helped to make Alvarez more aggressive this season.

"[He's] not looking to shoot jumpers all the time," said Wartella. "He is looking to attack the rim and post up more. He is also rebounding a lot better."

So far into the season Alvarez has had games of 17, 19, 23, 21, and a season high 25 points against division leading Mahanoy Area on the road.

Pottsville junior Christian Alvarez (11) dribbles into the paint as Minersville hosts Pottsville Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)

"I have been trusting my teammates and coaches," said Alvarez. "They set me up and get me open."

Alvarez was also a key player on the Pottsville football team, lining up at wide receiver. Alvarez caught three passes for 45 yards in Pottsville's District quarterfinal win leading the Tide to the District XI semifinals.

It was a tough transition for Alvarez after such a long football season, but he credited football with helping him with basketball as he got stronger during football season.

"Playing football has really toughened him up," said Wartella. "He is a more physical kid this year and the experience from last year has helped him."

The Tide are currently on a six-game winning streak, and Alvarez is playing a huge role.

Despite being the Tide's leading scorer, you can catch Alvarez every night defending the opponents' best player.

"He is one of the hardest workers on the team," said Wartella. "He's one of our better defenders."

When Alvarez hits the court, his mind set is simple: He wants to win and dominate.

"It's getting tough at the end, getting closer to the playoffs," said Alvarez. "You just have to have that mentality to win."

Alvarez and the Tide sit tied with Minersville for second place in the Schuylkill League Division. They also sit as the number one seed in the District 11 5A rankings.

By the end of the year Alvarez has an individual goal of getting close to 1,000 points.  "As a team we want to win leagues and districts and make a state run," said Alvarez.

Alvarez has confidence his team can reach those goals due to their recent success.

"I love everything we are doing. We are playing defense and moving the ball well," said Alvarez. "We look like a completely different team."

As the season comes to a close, Wartella expects Alvarez to keep doing what he is doing.

"He is a true team player and just wants to win," said Wartella. "We have got better as a team from the beginning."

Despite having achieved so much already this season, Alvarez is as humble as they come. His coach even thinks he is too humbled at times.

"It's a blessing really," said Alvarez. "I just thank my coaches and teammates," Alvarez noted on his success.

You can catch Alvarez and the Tide back in action Tuesday as they travel to Pine Grove at 7 p.m.

MINERSVILLE - Pottsville didn't trail once Tuesday night as they took down Minersville 54-44 in boys basketball action.

Ryder Bowers scored a game-high 18 points, including five triples, and Letrel Montone scored 16 points all in the second half to lead Pottsville to victory.

Pottsville's defense was outstanding, forcing 18 Minersville turnovers on the night.

Pottsville head coach Jake Wartella added: "It was a true team effort. Guys bought in on both sides and they played as a team."

The Crimson Tide had it going early as they started the game on a 7-0 run. The Battlin' Miners scored their first two points at the three-minute mark when Dawsyn Manning connected on a layup.

Pottsville knocked down three triples in the first frame to lead 13-6 at the end of one.

"It really sucked that they beat us at Martz Hall but tonight I feel like we played our best game," said Bowers.

Minersville cut the lead to 17-16 midway through the second quarter.

Bowers and the Crimson Tide stayed poised as Bowers went on a 6-0 run by himself to extend Pottsville's lead to 26-16, forcing a Minersville timeout.

"I have always trusted my shot and worked on it a lot," said Bowers. "I trust my teammates to get me open for those looks."

Shazier Bethea scored four points for the Battlin' Miners who scored two straight buckets to trail 26-20 at the half.

Pottsville sophomore Max Clews (21) puts the ball up as Minersville hosts Pottsville Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025. (MATTHEW PERSCHALL/MULTIMEDIA EDITOR)

Dante Carr came out in the second half firing. Carr connected on two straight triples to make the game 28-26.

Wartella's squad responded going on a 7-2 run to extend the lead to 35-28.

Montone caught fire in the frame scoring seven of his 16 points in the quarter.

"I knew my time would come," said Montone. "I got a little hot and got us off to a run."

After Pottsville went up 36-30, Minersville's Jordan Bowers knocked down a corner three to cut the lead to 36-33 heading into the final frame.

Heading into the fourth quarter, Wartella stressed to his team to take care of the ball and do the little things that wins games.

The Crimson Tide did just that as they started the quarter on a a 6-0 run thanks to a Bowers four-point play.

Wartella credited Bowers for continuing to make big shots for his team.

The Battlin' Miners cut the lead to 46-41 late in the fourth, giving their fans renewed hope.

That was the closest they got as Montone scored nine points in the frame, leading Pottsville on a 8-3 run in the final 2:30 to close out the game.

"We know we are a great team," said Montone. "It feels good that Pottsville is rolling again."

Carr led Minersville's with 16 points in the loss.

Pottsville will put their five-game winning streak on the line Friday night as they travel to North Schuylkill. Minersville will look to bounce back when they host Mahanoy Area.

Minersville (44) - Hutsko 3 0-0 6, Zimerofsky 0 0-0 0, Manning 3 0-0 6, Bethea 2 2-2 6, Kostishak 1 0-0 2, Halford 0 0-0 0, Carr 6 1-2 16, Bowers 3 0-0 8.

Pottsville (54) - Alvarez 2 2-2 6, Bowers 5 3-3 18, Montone 5 6-12 16, Watkins 1 1-4 3, Bainbridge 1 0-0 3, McGinley 2 0-0 6, Clews 0 2-2 2.

Min (13-3, 8-2) - 6 14 13 11 - 44

Potts (12-5, 8-2) - 13 13 10 18 - 54

POTTSVILLE - Christian Alvarez scored 16 points as Pottsville defeated Tamaqua.

The Tide led 28-21 at the half, to gain control.

Letrel Montone scored 13 and Ryder Bowers chipped in 12 for the Tide in the win.

Noah Mateyak netted a game-high 25 points for the Blue Raiders. Cooper Ansbach chipped in 12 points in the loss.

Pottsville (55) - Bainbridge 0-0-0-0, McGinley 0-0-0-0, Watkins 2-1-2-5, Alvarez 5-3-4-16, Montrone 5-3-6-13, Bowers 4-0-0-12, Clews 1-0-0-3, Ivy 2-2-2-6.

Tamaqua (52) - Reyes 1-0-0-3, Ansbach 4-3-4-12, McCabe 1-0-0-2, Mateyak 7-7-7-25, Vecolitis 0-0-0-0, Davis 0-0-0-0, Schickram 0-0-0-0-0, Kane 4-2-6-10, Frohnheiser 0-0-0-0, Tamagini 0-0-0-0.

Tam (5-11, 2-7) - 11 10 14 17 - 52

Potts (10-5, 7-2) - 12 16 11 16 - 55