The Pottsville Crimson Tide came tearing into Wednesday's contest with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.6 points) and they left with even more momentum. They strolled past Jim Thorpe with points to spare, taking the game 59-43. Given Pottsville's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 169th, while Jim Thorpe is ranked 662nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Pottsville found their leader in underclassman Christian Alvarez, who scored 19 points. Alvarez is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Chase Oswald, who scored nine points.
Pottsville has been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten contests, which provided a nice bump to their 12-5 record this season. As for Jim Thorpe, they are on a eight-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 1-17.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Pottsville will take on Lehighton at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Lehighton knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past five matchups -- so hopefully Pottsville likes a good challenge. As for Jim Thorpe, they will head out on the road to square off against Tamaqua at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Tamaqua is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.
