POTTSVILLE — The hourlong ride was well worth the trip for the Weatherly girls basketball team.

Nativity was anything but welcoming.

The two feisty opponents battled end to end from the opening tip before the Wreckers held on for a 23-22 victory Monday — a game that could be a preview of a District 11 Class 1A playoff matchup next month.

Yes, it was just as close as the first meeting in Weatherly, a 31-29 overtime win. This one appeared headed for overtime as well.

Nativity came within a whisker of tying or winning the game three times in the fourth quarter.

Weatherly clung to a 21-16 lead entering the final eight minutes, then watched Emily Lorence score for the Golden Girls with 7:17 to play. Maci Kane slipped behind the defense for a basket, and Weatherly looked poised to pull away when Abigail Weston grabbed a rebound after Kane missed a foul shot.

Leading 23-19 with 1:14 to play, Weatherly was assessed a bench technical. Macie Rushannon sank the second free throw, then poked in a basket with 37 seconds remaining to make it 23-22. Nativity remained alive when Weatherly missed two foul shots with 21 seconds left.

This one was far from over.

Nativity, however, missed three point-blank shots and then turned the ball over with seven-tenths of a second remaining, allowing Weatherly to escape with a wild victory.

“It doesn’t matter how you get it,” Weatherly coach Jason Kane said. “I knew this was going to be a tough game, the last time we played up at our place, we won in overtime. I was expecting it to be that type of game like the first one.”

There was little to admire in the scorebook, as the teams combined for 63 turnovers.

The game was tied 5-5 after one quarter. Weatherly got a 3-pointer from Weston, and a basket from Cortney Snyder, while Rushannon answered with a 3-pointer and Pinkey added a basket. From that point on, Weatherly never trailed.

The Wreckers built an 18-15 halftime lead behind Kelly Reiner, Kane and Kehler, while also receiving contributions from Alize Way-Heffner.

“It was a physical game, and I thought we responded very well when things got really close,” Kane said.

Kane scored Weatherly’s only points in the third quarter, but the Wreckers still carried a 21-16 lead into the final period.

“I thought we had a better first half,” Kane said. “I knew they were going to come out (in the second half) and play more defensively and try to stop Kelly (Reiner)… we struggled, we’re having trouble finding more than one scorer… we need some girls to step up. But I’m happy the way we played defensively.”

BOUNCING THE BALL ... Neither team could gain momentum, as turnovers were plentiful.

STANDOUTS ... Rushannon led Nativity with 14 points. Kane (seven points) and Reiner (six) paced Weatherly.

CLOSE CALL ON THE GLASS ... Weatherly held a 33-23 rebounding advantage. Reiner led the Wreckers with eight rebounds, while McNamara grabbed a game-high nine for the Golden Girls.

WEATHERLY

Kane 3-1-5-7, Reiner 2-0-2-6, Kehler 2-0-2-5, Weston 1-0-2-3, Snyder 1-0-0-2, Way-Heffner 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 9-1-11-23.

NATIVITY

Rushannon 4-2-4-14, Pinkey 1-2-3-4, Lorence 1-0-0-2, McNamarra 1-0-2-2, Zulick 0-0-0-0, Purcell 0-0-0-0, Stewart 0-0-0-0, Evans 0-0-0-0. TOTALS: 7-4-9-22.

Weatherly 5 13 3 2 - 23

Nativity 5 10 1 6 - 22

Three-Pointers: Weatherly - Reiner 2, Kehler 1, Weston 1; Nativity - Rushannon 4.

Records: Weatherly (4-9; 2-8); Nativity (1-15; 0-10).