HS Basketball: Minersville, Pottsville open season with wins
Minersville's Dante Carr slams down a dunk during a boys' basketball game against Shenandoah Valley (Photo by Kelly Wiley).
SHENANDOAH — The Battlin’ Miners started off the season strong.
Shazier Bethea paced Minersville with a game-high 22 points as the Battlin’ Miners rolled past Shenandoah Valley 54-33 Tuesday in a non-league boys’ basketball.
Bradley Kostishak chipped in 16 points and Dante Carr poured in 12 for Minersville.
For the Blue Devils, Brayden Maksimik collected team-high 14 points.
MINERSVILLE (54) — Hutsko 1 0-0 2, Zimerofsky 0 0-0 0, Manning 1 0-0 2, Bethea 8 3-4 22, Kostishak 7 2-2 16, Halford 0 0-0 0, Carr 5 2-2 12, Bowers 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 7-8 54.
SHENANDOAH VALLEY (33) — Boris 1 0-0 3, Hernandez 0 0-0 0, Rivera 0 0-0 0, Maksimik 4 2 14, Reyes 0 0-0 0, Elchisak 0 0-0 0, Castro 0 0-0 0, Burrows 1 0-0 2, Lopez 3 0-0 6, Teeter 4 0-0 8, Burke 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 0-0 33.
Min (1-0) 20 … 9 … 16 … 9 — 54
SV (1-2) 11 … 6 … 11 … 5 — 33
3-point FGs: Bethea 3, Boris, Maksimik 2.
Pottsville 68, Hazleton Area 59
HAZLE TWP. — Derek Watkins and Letrel Montone combined for 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Crimson Tide surged past the Cougars in a season-opening, non-league game at Hughie McGeehan Gymnasium.
Hazleton Area had forged a 46-45 lead after three quarters behind Luis Guzman’s 24 points and Dylan Stish’s 20 points. The Tide, however, held Stish scoreless in the final frame as Watkins and Montone took over, sparking a 23-13, game-closing run.
Watkins finished with a team-high 19 points, one of four Pottsville players in double figures. Montone added 16, Ryder Bowers drained five 3-pointers for 15 points and Christian Alvarez tallied 13 points.
POTTSVILLE (68) — Alvarez 3 6-9 13, Bowers 5 0-0 15, Montone 6 4-7 16, Watkins 7 4-4 19, Ivy 0 0-0 0, Bainbridge 1 0-0 2, Hughes-Crane 0 0-0 0,, McGinley 1 0-0 3, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 14-20 68.
HAZLETON AREA (59) — Guzman 11 0-2 24, Saladini 0 1-2 1, Stiffin 0 2-2 2, Perkosky 1 0-0 2, Ritz 1 0-0 3, Melenciano 1 5-7 7, Stish 9 0-0 20, Moran 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 8-13 59.
Potts (1-0) 20 … 7 … 18 … 23 — 68
Hazle (0-1) 17 … 11 … 18 … 13 — 59
3-point FGs: Alvarez, Bowers 5, Watkins, McGinley, Guzman 2, Ritz, Stish 2
Bloomsburg 59, North Schuylkill 38
BLOOMSBURG — Jude Maziekas scored 15 points and Zach Marcinowski added 11 as the Spartans dropped their season opener at Bloomsburg.
NORTH SCHUYLKILL (38) — Grow 0 0-0 0, Maziekas 6 1-2 15, Nelson 1 0-0 2, Marcinowski 4 2-2 11, McNally 1 1-2 3, Osenbach 0 0-0 0, Cairo 0 0-0 0, Kacilowicz 0 0-0 0, White 2 0-0 4, Gallagher 1 1-2 3, Cabral 0 0-5 0, Meskunas 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 5-13 38.
BLOOMSBURG (59) — Rosini 0 0-0 0, Witkowski 6 4-6 19, LaBuda 3 1-1 8, Butler 8 1-1 18, Dodge 0 0-0 0, Hamilton 0 0-0 0, Cruz 2 0-0 4, Brosious 0 0-2 0, Smith 0 0-0 0, Katulis 1 0-0 2, Scherer 1 0-0 3, Horan 2 0-0 5. Totals 23 6-10 59.
NS (0-1) 9 … 9 … 9 … 11 — 38
Bloom 14 … 11 … 15 … 19 — 59
3-point FGs: Maziekas 2, Marcinowski, Witkowski 3, LaBuda, Butler, Scherer, Horan
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
Pine Grove 48, Schuylkill Valley 43
PINE GROVE — Ayla Schneck-Haines scored a game-high 20 points as Pine Grove edged Schuylkill Valley in non-league contest.
Addison Zimmerman chipped in nine points for the Cardinals, while Callee Leffler added eight.
SCHUYLKILL VALLEY (43) — Rittenhouse 1 2-4 2, Yobb 0 5-8 5, Kier 1 0-1 2, Sellers 3 4-5 10, Falsone 3 1-1 7, West 2 2-2 8, Wickersham 3 0-1 7. Totals 13 14-22 43.
PINE GROVE (48) — Seltzer 0 0-0 0, Leffler 2 3-5 8, Umbenhauer 2 1-2 5, Heming 0 0-0 0, Zimmerman 4 0-0 9, Leininger 0 0-0 0, Schneck-Haines 6 6-8 20, Fidler 0 0-0 0, Sampson 3 0-2 6. Totals 17 10-17 48.
SV (0-1) 8 … 9 … 7 … 19 — 43
PG (2-0) 8 … 6 … 18 … 16 — 48
3-point FGs: West 2, Wickersham, Leffler, Zimmerman, Schneck-Haines 2.
