The temperature might have dipped to 1-degree outside, but inside Weatherly’s gym the Nativity boys basketball team was red hot on offense.

The Green Wave’s defense also sent the Wreckers into a deep freeze to help gain a commanding 74-50 Schuylkill League victory over the Wreckers.

The win moved Nativity one step close to a Division 2 title, as it now sports a 9-1 record. Weatherly, meanwhile, is still in line for a league playoff berth, although it’s now tied with Williams Valley in the loss column for the final D-2 spot.

The Wreckers struggled with the Green Wave’s powerful inside game, and also had trouble against their guard play. In short, Weatherly was just having difficulty keeping pace with its visitors.

Meanwhile, Nativity knew what it had to do to pull out a win.

“We needed to (shut down) No. 3 (Ian McKeegan) and No. 45 (Corbin Wagner),” said Green Wave coach Mike Walborn.

The duo, along with Niko Saldukas, have been the driving force for Weatherly this season, as both can score and spread the floor, dip inside or shoot from the perimeter.

McKeegan did get his share with 20 points, while Wagner was held to 10. Saldukas ended with 12.

While the trio’s total was impressive, it didn’t match the threesome of Nativity’s Noah Dolbin (21), Layne Pasker (18) and Trey Keating (16).

Dolbin was playing volleyball at times off the glass, tipping in missed shots while scoffing up rebounds. If he wasn’t the one lighting the fire, then Pasker was, as he ended with eight field goals. And then there was Keating, who can bomb from long range. All that spelled trouble for the Wreckers.

Doblin tallied eight points in the first quarter, and Pasker netted seven as the Wave gained a 19-14 start.

In the second, Dolbin added six more and Keating tossed in five as Nativity expanded the lead to 20 at the break.

“This was a big win for us,” Keating said. “It was big for leagues and districts … they’ve got such a good team. They’ve been hot over their last few games, so it was important that we got the early lead, and kept the pressure on them.”

The Wreckers did manage 19 points in the third quarter, with Saldukas accounting for eight of them and McKeegan adding six. But Natvity tossed in 24 to grow the lead.

Walborn knows if his guard play continues to improve, they will be a big factor in the postseason.

“We’re getting better and better,” said the Nativity coach. “They help put us in a position to win a game. A lot of defenses are trying to key on Trey (Keating) … their emphasis is on him.”

Keating knows he has other players around him to step up.

“I don’t need to do it all, we’ve got other guys who can score,” he said.

That translates to a balanced attack, and Nativity has plenty of it.

THE STRETCH RUN … Nativity and Weatherly both have four games remaining on their league schedules. Nativity, in first place, has a key contest against second place Tri-Valley on Friday. The Wreckers still have big matchups against Tri-Valley and Williams Valley.

NATIVITY

Kreitzer 1-0-0-2, Bowman 2-0-0-5, Walborn 1-1-2-4, Dolbin 8-5-6-21, Grabowski 0-1-2-1, Kramer 0-3-4-3, Pasker 8-1-1-18, Clarke 2-0-0-4, Keating 6-3-3-16. TOTALS: 28-14-18-74.

WEATHERLY

Adler 1-0-0-2, Kokinda 1-0-0-2, McKeegan 9-2-2-20, Stauffer 2-0-0-4, Saldukas 5-2-2-12, Donish 0-0-0-0, Davis 0-0-0-0, Wagner 4-1-1-10. TOTALS: 22-5-5-50.

Nativity 19 21 24 10 - 74

Weatherly 14 6 19 11 - 50

Three-pointers: Nativity - Walborn 1, Pasker 1, Keating 1, Bowman 1; Weatherly - Wagner 1.

Records: Nativity (9-7; 9-1); Weatherly (8-6; 6-4).