Boys’ Basketball: Yedsena, Zawada lead unbeaten Mahanoy Area to another big win

The Mahanoy Area boys' basketball huddles on the bench during a timeout (Photo by Eli Doyle).

MAHANOY CITY — Jace Yedsena and Tanner Zawada made sure Mahanoy Area’s undefeated regular season didn’t stop Tuesday night.

Yedsena led all scorers with 28 points and Zawada added 17 as the Golden Bears thwarted Pottsville 62-47 in a Schuylkill League Division I contest at the Mickey Holland Gymnasium.

Mahanoy Area’s unbeaten streak moves to 6-0 in Division I and 12-0 overall so far this season after a win over the Crimson Tide (7-5, 4-2 D-I).

“It’s emotional draining every night for the players and coaches,” Mahanoy Area coach Teddy Styka said. “For them to keep coming back night in and night out, and then practice tough, and then come out and perform. Kudos to them because they’re up for the challenge.”

Mahanoy Area was off and running from the start and built a 10-0 lead from the jump. Yedsena, a senior guard, went coast-to-coast for a layup to begin the scoring run and capped it with a 3-pointer. William Mayberry added a 3 and Peyton Sendatch netted a layup.

The Golden Bears ball movement was on display to end the first quarter as Mayberry netted another three coming off two quick passes from Zawada and Sendatch. Mahanoy Area led 15-4 in the first frame.

In the second quarter though, it was Pottsville’s turn for an offensive spark.

Christian Alvarez, a junior forward, paced the Tide’s offense with a team-high 25 points. The junior was the scoring spark Pottsville needed early as he scored 13 of Pottsville’s 16 second quarter points. At one point Alvarez nailed a trio of 3’s in under roughly 0:30 of game clock and Pottsville outscored the Golden Bears 16-11 in the frame.

The Crimson Tide crept back into the game after Alvarez’s offensive flurry and trailed Mahanoy Area 26-20 at halftime.

The third quarter was by far the most physical and emotional tasking quarter.

Both the Golden Bears and Crimson Tide caught the turnover bug early in the quarter. The third quarter also saw each team commit offensive fouls, highlighted by Pottsville’s JuJu Bainbridge drawing his second charge of the contest.

Yedsena and Mayberry each added 3’s in the frame, and Zawada added two from beyond the arc. Mahanoy Area outscored Pottsville 18-16 in the third quarter, but the Tide certainly weren’t backing down.

Unfortunately for Pottsville, Yedsena was ready to close the game out for the Bears.

Yedsena scored 16 of Mahanoy Area’s 18 fourth quarter points, including an electrifying dunk, and shot 9-14 from the free throw line down the stretch. Zawada added two free throws to make him 6-for-6 in the game. The Golden Bears shot 15-for-20 from the free throw line as a team.

“Play good defense, keep the opponent in front of us and let the card lay where they may,” Styka said about Mahanoy Area’s keys to success.

POTTSVILLE (47) — Bainbridge 2 0-0 5, Watkins 3 0-0 7, Alavarez 9 3-9 25, Montone 3 1-2 7, Bowers 1 1-2 3, McGinley 0 0-0 0, Flucker-White 0 0-0 0, Ivy 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 5-13 47.

MAHANOY AREA (64) — Sendatch 2 0-0 4, Mayberry 3 0-0 9, Yedsena 8 9-14 28, Zawada 4 6-6 17, Oblas 0 0-0 0, Zilker 2 0-0 4. Totals 19 15-20 62.

Potts (7-5, 4-2)   4 … 16 … 16 … 11 — 47

Mah (12-0, 6-0)  15 … 11 … 18 … 18 — 62

3-point FGs: Bainbridge, Watkins, Alvarez 4, Mayberry 3, Yedsena 3, Zawada 3