The Schuylkill Haven boys’ basketball team has one big focus during the final month of the regular season — Qualify for the District 11 Class AA playoffs.
A performance like Saturday, especially on defense, will go a long way toward helping the Hurricanes achieve that goal.
Zavier Webb had a season-high 19 points and helped lead Schuylkill’s Haven’s defensive effort during a 48-38 victory over the Hilltoppers in a Schuylkill League Division II-III crossover game atop Lawton’s Hill.
After going 0-22 last season, Schuylkill Haven (7-6, 3-2 D-II) started this season 5-2, but then dropped four straight, including a 51-42 loss to Nativity in a non-league game Jan. 3. Saturday’s victory was Haven’s second straight and pushed the Hurricanes back over .500.
Schuylkill Haven needs to go 4-5 over its final nine games to make districts.
“I think this is our first win we’ve ever had in this gym since 7th- or 8th-grade basketball,” Webb said. “I am not even sure if we won back then. We had a discussion about this is the important time of the season. We have 10 games left, we have to win five out of 10 to make districts and that will be the first time that I’ve ever done it for basketball. That is huge.”
Webb, who added 11 rebounds to complete a double-double, scored nine of his points in the second half, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the foul line in the fourth quarter. Overall, the Hurricanes went 9-for-16 from the free-throw line in the final period. Schuylkill Haven finished the game on 15-2 run to pull away after Nativity went up 36-33 on two Ayden Adams foul shots with 6:12 left in the game.
The Hurricanes held the Hilltoppers (7-5, 3-2 D-III) to 12 second-half points. Webb guarded Nativity’s Jeff Yordy for most the game and held him to a season-low eight points.
Schuylkill Haven gave up too many easy baskets during the first half as the Hilltoppers built a 26-21 halftime advantage. But the Hurricanes did a much better job in their man-to-man defense in the second half, cutting down on the number of uncontested shots inside, forcing the Hilltoppers into taking more difficult shots.
“I think it was the intensity,” Webb said of the second-half defense. “Everyone kind of woke up and said ‘We have a good shot at this one, we really want this one.’ Everyone stepped up their game.”
Ethan Conage added 11 points for Schuylkill Haven, including a 3-pointer from the corner with 1:39 left in the game that gave the Hurricanes a 44-38 lead. It followed a layup by Sean Greco that pulled Nativity to within 41-38.
Dominic Piccioni, Adams and Greco also had eight points apiece for the Hilltoppers. Yordy grabbed 13 rebounds, while Eric Nelson and Cullen Hoppel collected eight boards apiece.
Nativity dropped its second consecutive game and followed Thursday’s 58-37 loss at Mahanoy Area with another poor shooting performance Saturday. The Hilltoppers were 13-for-54 (24 percent) in the game, including a 3-for-28 (11 percent) showing in the second half.
“We were weren’t hitting the open man,” Nativity coach Kevin Kennedy said. “We were taking shots we shouldn’t be taking. The last two games we’ve been shooting terrible. We just can’t get the ball to go into the basket.
“I have to complement Schuylkill Haven,” Kennedy added. “They played a great game.”
The Hurricanes didn’t exactly light it up either, shooting 15-for-50 (30 percent), but were 3-for-6 in the fourth quarter in addition to their foul shooting.
Webb pulled Schuylkill Haven to within 36-35 when he hit two foul shots after he was fouled on a runner attempt at 5:37. He then gave the Hurricanes the lead for good, hitting both ends of a 1-and-1 with 4:21 remaining.
J.T. Hughes powered in a layup with 4 minutes left, and later scored inside at 2:16 to make it 41-36.
After Greco scored to make it a three-point game, Ulsh passed cross-court along the baseline to Conage, who buried the 3 from the corner, giving the Hurricnaes a 44-38 lead.
“I was just happy,” Webb said. “I didn’t know how many we were up by. I like to see my guys hit shots.”
Game Summary
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN (48) — Webb 6 5-6 19, Ulsh 0 1-2 1, Blugis 1 4-6 6, Conage 4 2-2 11, Charles 1 2-4 4, Hughes 3 1-6 7. Totals 15 15-26 48.
NATIVITY (38) — Piccioni 3 0-0 8, Greco 3 2-2 8, Hoppel 3 0-0 6, Yordy 2 4-5 8, Hunyara 0 0-0 0, Adams 3 2-2 8, Nelson 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 8-9 38.
SH (7-6, 3-2) 8 13 11 16 — 48 Nat (7-5, 3-2) 11 15 6 6 — 38
3-point FGs: Webb 2, Conage, Piccioni 2
JV score: Nativity 48-32