Basketball Game Preview: Minersville Battlin' Miners vs. Pottsville Crimson Tide

The Minersville Battlin' Miners will square off against the Pottsville Crimson Tide at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Minersville comes in on eight and Pottsville on four.

Last Wednesday, Minersville didn't have too much trouble with Nativity BVM as they won 65-51. Given the Battlin' Miners' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 67th, while the Green Wave are ranked 323rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Pottsville had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They came out on top against Mahanoy Area by a score of 54-44 on Wednesday.

Pottsville's win came from a few key players Minersville will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Derek Watkins, who made all 6 shots he took to post 16 points. He is also on a roll when it comes to shooting accuracy, as he's posted one of at least 100% in the last 11 games he's played. Another player making a difference was Christian Alvarez, who posted 13 points.

Pottsville pushed their record up to 18-6 with the victory, which was their ninth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.4 points over those games. As for Minersville, their win bumped their record up to 21-3.

Minersville came up short against Pottsville in their previous meeting back in January, falling 54-44. Can Minersville avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.