SCHUYLKILL HAVEN – The opening minutes were torture for the Weatherly boys basketball team.

It was that bad.

Schuylkill Haven raced out of the gate and looked ready to run away with this Schuylkill League Division 2 matchup. But as the game wore on — especially in the second half — Weatherly showed plenty of fight and nearly turned the night into heartburn for the Hurricanes and jubilation for the Wreckers.

Weatherly clawed back after trailing by as many as 14 points after one quarter and 17 points early in the second half, but it could not complete the comeback in a 75-65 loss.

The Wreckers dug themselves out of a 20-6 first-quarter hole and pulled within four points, 59-55, with 3:38 to play. That rally came after Weatherly also trailed 39-22 early in the third quarter.

Yet Weatherly never quit.

“That’s a pretty darn good team,” Schuylkill Haven coach Bill Murphy said, praising the opposition. “They’re very athletic, they have shooters, they have some kids that can hurt you inside.”

Weatherly’s top scorer, Ian McKeegan, drew plenty of attention from Haven’s defense.

“We did a pretty good job on a pretty good player in the first half,” Murphy said.

McKeegan eventually found his rhythm. He finished with a game-high 27 points after being limited to six in the first half and four in the third quarter. The 5-foot-7 senior guard erupted for 17 points in the fourth quarter.

McKeegan opened the final period with a 3-pointer. After teammate Matt Adler made two free throws, McKeegan scored six straight points, capped by a basket that sent the Weatherly crowd into a frenzy.

The Wreckers stormed back to make it a four-point game with plenty of time remaining and momentum squarely on their side.

But Schuylkill Haven steadied itself just in time.

Junior Justin Wachter led the Hurricanes with 23 points, stopping McKeegan’s surge. Brady Kelly added 19 points, including a putback basket, while junior guard Alan Evans scored two of his 12 points at the foul line.

That sequence halted Weatherly’s momentum.

“Sometimes those holes are pretty tough to climb out of,” Weatherly coach Luke Medico said. “It is also hard to understand the flow of the game with the fouls going on.”

Medico said foul trouble hurt the Wreckers, who lost Dominick Kokinda and Adler after they fouled out.

“That’s kind of tough, but we do well creating chaos… it’s something that we (thrive) on. Unfortunately, it got two of our guys in foul trouble.”

Weatherly’s rally was fueled by full-court pressure and double teams that forced Haven into mistakes.

“Their pressure was a big factor for them. We kind of lost it,” Murphy said.

Haven committed eight turnovers over a four-minute stretch late in the third quarter that carried into the fourth as Weatherly surged back into contention.

“It was great to see that we played with a lot of heart,” Medico said.

Schuylkill Haven built its early lead quickly, jumping ahead 20-6 in the first quarter. The Hurricanes closed the opening period with a 9-0 run over the final 96 seconds. Kelly sparked the spurt with a breakaway basket, Wachter followed with a score inside, and Heim knocked down a 3-pointer and a jumper.

Haven extended its lead to 29-13 midway through the second quarter, but Weatherly finished the half strong, outscoring the Hurricanes 9-2. Niko Saldukas hit a 3-pointer, McKeegan scored six points and Brandon Davis added a basket.

Weatherly again found itself in trouble early in the third quarter, trailing 39-22. From there, the Wreckers mounted a 33-20 run that stretched into the middle of the fourth quarter before Haven regained control and sealed the win.

TOUGH START ... Falling behind early proved costly for Weatherly. Digging out of a hole on the road is difficult, even with sustained effort.

GLASS CLEANING ... Heim dominated the boards for Schuylkill Haven with 17 rebounds, including seven in the first quarter. The Hurricanes finished with 37 rebounds. Weatherly had 29, led by Saldukas and McKeegan with eight each, while Adler grabbed six.

WEATHERLY

Alder 3-2-2-9, Kokinda 0-2-2-2, I. McKeegan 12-2-2-27, Saldukas 5-3-3-16, Cuddeford 0-0-0-0, Brown 0-0-0-0, Wagner 2-3-4-8, Davis 1-1-2-3. TOTALS: 23-13-15-65.

SCHUYLKILL HAVEN

Evans 2-6-8-12, Diehl 1-0-0-2, Kelly 9-1-2-19, Watcher 10-3-3-23, Heim 7-4-7-19, Lucas 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 29-14-20-75.

Weatherly 6 16 20 23 - 65

Schuylkill Haven 20 12 20 23 - 75

Three-pointers: Weatherly - Saldukas 3, Adler 1, I. McKeegan 1, Wagner 1; Schuylkill Haven - Evans 2, Heim 1.

Records: Weatherly (8-6; 3-6); Schuylkill Haven (12-4; 6-3).