PIAA Boys’ Basketball: Hilltoppers ousted from Class A tournament
Nativity's Trey Keating shoots a free throw during Friday's PIAA Class A boys' basketball first-round game against High Point Baptist at Exeter Township High School. Keating scored 28 points in the Hilltoppers' 60-48 loss (Photo by Chaz Hepler).
EXETER TOWNSHIP — Nativity took to the road to open the PIAA Class A Boys’ Basketball Tournament, dropping its opening-round matchup to High Point Baptist Academy 60-48 at Exeter Township High School.
The defeat ends the Hilltoppers’ season with a 16-11 record. High Point Baptist Academy entered the tournament as the top seed out of District 3.
After a fast-paced first quarter, Nativity held a 13-11 advantage with Trey Keating netting seven points in the frame, while Layne Pasker chipped in four.
High Point Baptist came in with four starters averaging in double figures with Nick Harris (13.0), Mason Rogers (12.5), Reagan Wodicka (11.0) and Carlos Torres (10.0). That balance was evident as all four ended with at least a basket in the period, led by Harris with five points. However, that parity went away in the second quarter on both ends of the floor. For the Hilltoppers, Keating went off, collecting 11 in the quarter to score all of Nativity’s second-quarter points. For the Eagles, it was Mason Rogers cashing in for seven in the frame while Torres knocked down a triple.
Nativity led 24-21 at halftime.
Things changed quickly after the intermission with High Point Baptist going on a 12-point run to take command and it never looked back. The balance returned for the Eagles with Rogers scoring seven, Wodicka banging a pair of triples and Torres scoring a pair of buckets. The matchups on defense changed as well as Keating was held to just two points in the third, but Noah Dolbin started to come to life hitting three free throws and a pair of baskets. After 24 minutes, the Hilltoppers were trailing by five, 40-35.
High Point Baptist kept the pressure on in the final frame and started to pull away scoring 20 in the period, mostly from the free-throw line. Nativity cut a 12-point deficit down to nine but couldn’t get any closer.
To say that the Hilltoppers fought valiantly to the end would be an understatement. Keating scored eight in the fourth, finishing with 28 to lead all scorers in the game.
Nativity was forced to foul and the Eagles cashed them in when they counted going 12-for-17 in the quarter, with Mason Rogers a perfect 6-for-6 and Nick Harris hitting 5-of-6.
