HS Boys’ Basketball: Nativity outlasts Tri-Valley in physical, wire-to-wire contest

HEGINS — Unselfishness and determination are ways to describe how Nativity has been playing lately.

Noah Dolbin tied a game-high 16 points as the Hilltoppers narrowly defeated Tri-Valley 62-56 in a Schuylkill League Division II boys’ basketball back-and-forth contest Friday at Tri-Valley High School.

Nativity (10-7, 10-1 in D-II) has rattled off four consecutive wins over Division II competitors Schuylkill Haven (73-50), Marian (57-50), Weatherly (74-50) and the Dawgs. The win Friday clinches a Schuylkill League playoff berth for Hilltoppers.

“We found a way,” Nativity coach Mike Walborn said. “Noah got in foul trouble early, Nick (Clarke) came in and gave us some good minutes. Benny Kreitzer, Ryan Grabowski, they all came in and gave us some good minutes and we found a way to get to the second half. We gritted it out, it was a tough win. We were down, (Tri-Valley’s) a big, tall team. They’re tough, they’re no joke. Hats off to them, they played well, and they stuck to their gameplan.

“But we just found a way, and that is what you have to do. At this time of the season, that’s what you have to do. Just find a way.”

It was back-and-forth from the very start, all the way to the finish.

Just to show you how close it truly was, there was 16 lead changes throughout the game and seven in the fourth quarter alone.

Tied at 55-55 midway through the fourth quarter following a pair of free throws from Dolbin, Tri-Valley (13-4, 8-3 in D-II) and Nativity exchanged empty possessions on offense until Jake Bowman added a floater for two points to give the Hilltoppers the lead 57-56. Trey Porter went to the line and split a pair for the Dawgs to cut the deficit to one point, but that would be the last bucket of the contest for Tri-Valley.

 Trey Keating, Sammy Walborn and Dolbin combined to shoot 5-for-6 from the free throw line in the final minute to bring Nativity’s team total to 10-for-13 for the game as the Hilltoppers put away the Dawgs and secured a league playoff berth.

Keating and Walborn both chipped in 14 points for Nativity, who can clinch Division II with just one win over in one of its three remaining league games. The Hilltoppers have Williams Valley, Shenandoah Valley or Lourdes left to play.

And surely those game won’t be easy sledding, as was this game against Tri-Valley.

The Dawgs jumped ahead 20-19 in a fast-paced first quarter of action. Gavin Klock collected five of his 14 points for Tri-Valley in the frame.

Dolbin gave Nativity the lead 21-20 to begin the second quarter with a second chance layup. Glock added five more points in the quarter for the Dawgs but couldn’t connect on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that would’ve gave Tri-Valley the lead at half. The Hilltoppers was on top 36-35 after outscoring the Dawgs 17-15 in the frame.

Klock redeemed his missed buzzer beater by adding the first points of the second half after a slashing layup that pushed Tri-Valley ahead 37-36. Blake Schwartz totaled 6 of his game-high matching 16 points in the third quarter as the Dawgs kept it close, trailing 47-46 heading to the fourth.

Nativity’s free throw shooting powered it to outscore Tri-Valley 15-10 in the final quarter of regulation and secured the win.

For the Dawgs, Trey Porter chipped in 10 points.

“Its on a list of goal we want to accomplish,” coach Mike Walborn said about his Hilltoppers clinching a playoff berth. “First one was qualify for districts, now its to win the division. That is the only goal for the time being. We’re trying to win the division to give ourselves a breather, get a bye. We’re close We’re going to have two tough games next week and one the following week, we have to take care of business.”

NATIVITY (62) — Kreitzer 0 0-0 0, Bowman 4 0-0 9, Walborn 4 3-4 14, Dolbin 6 4-4 16, Grabowski 0 0-0 0, Pasker 4 1-3 9, Clarke 0 0-0 0, Keating 5 2-2 14. Totals 23 10-13 62.

TRI-VALLEY (56) — Schwartz 7 2-3 16, Miller 0 0-0 0, Porter 4 1-2 10, Straub 0 0-0 0, Johnson 0 0-0 0, Raulston 2 3-4 7, Doyle 2 5-6 9, Klock 5 2-4 14. Totals 20 13-19 56.

Nat (10-7, 10-1)   19 … 17 … 11 … 15 — 62

TV (13-4, 8-3)  20 … 15 … 11 … 10 — 56

3-point FGs: Bowman, Walborn 3, Keating 2, Porter, Klock 2