The Panther Valley boys basketball team had some “engine” problems at the most critical time Friday night against Blue Mountain.

In their most important game of the young season - one that was going to be a measuring stick - the Panthers were hoping to stay undefeated against a strong Schuylkill League foe.

Unfortunately for PV, it couldn’t overcome a poor third quarter and the Eagles’ defensive pressure, and ended up dropping a 60-42 decision.

The win keeps Blue Mountain (6-0; 3-0) on top of the Division 1 standings, a half game up on Pottsville. The Panthers, meanwhile, suffered just their first loss and now own a 5-1 overall mark and a 2-1 record in the league.

Panther Valley’s downfall came in the second quarter and continued into the second half after such a promising start. PV brought its A-game to the table, but then faltered after the Eagles choked off its scoring attack.

“It was a killer,” Panthers head coach Pat Crampsie said. “I thought we handled their aggression well. I thought we were able to make plays, passing out of it, but that kind of tailed off once the second quarter came.”

Panther Valley also had a tough time shutting down Blue Mountain’s attack, led by 6-5 Isaac Thomas. The junior scored a game-high 21 points, shooting 9-of-15 from the floor.

“Isaac is better than he realizes he is,” Eagles mentor Dustin Werdt said. “Once he figures out what he has to offer, he is going to be really something special.”

Blue Mountain’s team is also special.

Werdt knew the contest would be tough, but also knows how dangerous his team is offensively.

“They shoot the ball from the bench,” Werdt said of his players. “As soon as they walk in the gym, the ball’s going up.”

Thomas was one of four players on his team to reach double-digits. Carson Kerstetter finished with 14 points, while Brogan Campbell added 13 and Tyler Miller tallied 12.

Thanks to Miller and Thomas, the visitors shot out to a 13-9 lead. But the Panthers quickly answered.

Michael Pascoe, who led his team with 16 points, helped kick-start an 11-1 run. Chase Weaver connected for all of his seven points during the rally that ended with PV holding a 20-14 first-quarter advantage.

The lead didn’t last long, though, as the Eagles overcame the deficit in a jiffy. A 10-4 start to the second period allowed Blue Mountain to knot the score at 24-24. Campbell nailed a step-back three, while Thomas poured in a couple of baskets during the run.

The Eagles continued get more and more assertive, and built a 35-28 advantage by intermission.

In the third, PV could manage only two points - a pair of foul shots from Stephen Hood with 4:57 to go in the period. Blue Mountain, meanwhile, received six unanswered points from Thomas, who was hitting from all angles. The Panthers ended 0-of-11 from the floor in the period to fall behind 47-30.

Pascoe provided Panther Valley with a ray of hope in the final quarter when he powered inside with four straight baskets. But the Eagles quelled any comeback thoughts when Thomas hit jumpers on back-to-back trips down the floor to push the margin back to 53-38.

“They’ve got a lot of athletes, and it’s a credit to (Blue Mountain), they’re just a tough matchup,” Crampsie said. “Thomas hit a lot of tough shots … the length obviously was hard for us (to match up with).”

LIGHTING IT UP … Austin Hadley did a superb job off the PV bench. He was very effective inside, and once he gets his hoops skills in order, will be a factor down the road.

COUNTING THE WAY … The Panthers shot 18-of-49 from the floor, while Blue Mountain was 19-of-49. Rebounds were even at 32-32, while turnovers had the Eagles with 12 and Panthers with 16. Stephen Hood added 10 points.

SPLITSVILLE … PV looked rock solid in the JV contest, downing the Eagles 43-33 behind the 1-2 punch of Brady Jones (13) and Tom Buyce (12).

BLUE MOUNTAIN

Walasavage 0-0-0-0, Campbell 4-3-4-12, Kerstetter 3-7-8-14, A. Grace 0-0-0-0, Miller 3-7-8-13, R. Grace 0-0-0-0, Caulfield 0-0-0-0, Thomas 9-1-2-21. TOTALS: 19-18-22-60.

PANTHER VALLEY

B. Hood 1-0-0-3, Pascoe 8-0-0-16, S. Hood 3-3-4-10, Kokinda 0-0-0-0, Weaver 3-0-0-7, Hadley 3-0-0-6, Orsulak 0-0-0-0, Goida 0-0-0-0, Buyce 0-0-0-0, Fisher 0-0-0-0, Breiner 0-0-0-0, Jones 0-0-0-0, Penberth 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 18-3-4-42.

Blue Mtn. 14 21 12 13 - 60

Panther Vy. 20 8 2 12 - 42

Three-pointers: Blue Mountain - Thomas 2, Campbell 1, Kerstetter 1; Panther Valley - B. Hood 1, S. Hood 1, Weaver 1.