With just four games left in its regular season, it’s safe to say the Jim Thorpe boys basketball team is hitting its stride.

Riding a four-game winning streak coming into its matchup with Panther Valley, Thorpe continued its impressive defensive play on Tuesday with a dominating 52-31 Schuylkill League Division 1 victory.

The Olympians’ game plan - attack early and often on the defensive side of the floor with aggressive man-to-man defense - became quite clear early on as PV was missing two starters due to injury, including leading scorer Stephen Hood.

Thorpe allowed just two points in the opening quarter as the Panthers struggled to handle JT’s pressure. Derryl Fisher, meanwhile, got the Olympian offense going with seven points in the first frame, which ended with Thorpe holding a 13-2 advantage. Fisher also had two steals in the opening period.

“Our defense has really been the focal point, or the main reason, for our success over these last couple games for us,” said Jim Thorpe head coach Jason McElmoyle. “In our first outing, where they were able to beat us, they hit 12 three-pointers ... and we only gave up one tonight, and that one was a tough one and well-contested.

“It was really a team effort defensively. Our guards pressured well, and our big men underneath protected the rim.”

The Panthers shot 0-for-6 in the first quarter from three-point range, and matched that in the second quarter to go into intermission 0-for-12 from beyond the arc. The Olympians took full advantage of PV’s shooting woes, holding a 28-9 lead at the half. A 9-0 run to end the second quarter was the catalyst for Thorpe in the period.

But as the Panthers always seem to do with their perennial scrappy mentality, they battled back in the third to make things interesting for a moment.

PV came out of the half energized, and whittled the Thorpe lead to 13 (33-20) with three minutes remaining in the third. Michael Pascoe scored seven points during that span to spark the Panthers run.

“We did a great job of creating a window for ourselves to get back in the ballgame in the third quarter, getting their deficit down to about 12 or 13,” said Panther Valley assistant coach Shaun Midas, who was filling in for head coach Pat Crampsie, who was feeling a bit under the weather. “I credit our kids for fighting back. But then they were able to come back and hit some big shots, and credit to them for answering our run.

“Against a team the quality of Jim Thorpe, the tide can turn quickly. After we got back in it, they hit some shots, and with their speed and transition game, they were able to do just that.”

Thorpe (12-6, 7-4) once again put together a big run to end a quarter after PV cut the gap to 13. Colby McHugh hit a big three from the left corner to get the lead back to 16, and followed that up with a three-point play in transition after a beautiful bounce pass from Kaiden Herron that threaded the needle through traffic and found an open McHugh on the right block.

The Olympians capped off the third frame with a three-pointer at the buzzer from Andrew Warner to give the host team a 21-point bulge heading into the fourth.

“These guys are really coming together, and we’re starting to peak at the right time. You can see they’re playing with confidence, and they have confidence in each other,” said McElmoyle. “Guys are hitting shots, we’re getting contributions from everyone we put out there, and that’s fun to see. We just need to stay focused and keep this momentum going.”

LEADING SCORERS ... Fisher scored a game-high 18 points, while McHugh added a season-high 16 for Thorpe. Pascoe led the way for PV (10-8; 4-7) with 11.

DEFENSIVE PROWESS ... During its current five-game winning streak, the Olympians are giving up an average of 31 points per game.

IN OUR PRAYERS ... There was a nice crowd on hand in support of former JT boys head coach and former PV boys and girls assistant coach Brian Carroll, who is battling cancer.

PANTHER VALLEY

Kokinda 1 0-0 3, Weaver 2 2-2 6, Orsulak 0 0-0 0, B. Hood 2 0-0 4, Jones 0 0-0 0, Pascoe 4 3-9 11, Hadley 1 0-0 2, McAndrew 0 0-1 0, Maynard 0 1-2 1, Turner 1 2-5 4, Goida 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 11 5-10 31.

JIM THORPE

Herron 2 2-2 6, Richards 2 0-0 6, Warner 2 0-0 6, McHugh 6 1-1 16, Fisher 7 4-4 18, DiSanto 0 0-1 0, Spruill 0 0-0 0, Selby 0 0-0 0, Rosahac 0 0-0 0, Heydt 0 0-2 0. TOTALS: 19 7-10 52.

Panther Vy. 2 7 12 10 - 31

Jim Thorpe 13 15 14 10 - 52

Three-pointers: Panther Valley - Kokinda 1; Jim Thorpe - McHugh 3, Warner 2, Richards 2.