Fleetwood turns back Antietam in battle of division leaders

(This story will be updated with details and postgame reaction.)

Dylan Fickes came up with a pair of key late baskets and Nate Herb scored a career-high 19 points as Fleetwood stopped Antietam’s comeback bid and pulled away for a 51-38 win in a Berks Conference Division III-IV crossover Wednesday at Fleetwood.

The Berks III-leading Tigers (6-1, 11-3) used an 11-0 run to open up a 17-point lead in the final minutes.

The Berks IV-leading Mounts (6-1, 14-2) were within 38-33 two minutes into the fourth quarter after a pair of baskets by Carson Lubas.

Jake Karnish had 11 points, 11 rebounds and three assists for the Tigers. Will Ryan had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Hector Tiburcio led the Mounts with nine points. Jovan Hollis scored eight first-quarter points for Antietam but didn’t score again and fouled out in the fourth quarter.

Herb sparked an early 6-0 run at the outset of the second quarter that pushed the Tigers ahead 19-12. He scored two baskets, assisted on a third, then hit a pair of free throws. Herb had 15 points at the half, topping his season-high of 12 points.

The Tigers led throughout the first half despite nine turnovers.

The Mounts played the final nine minutes without head coach Mike Green, who received consecutive technicals with a minute to go in the third quarter and was ejected.

Antietam entered with an 11-game win streak, its only loss coming to defending District 3 Class 2A champ Lancaster Mennonite, 74-65, in mid-December. The 14-1 start was the best for the Mounts since 1967-68, when they finished 28-1 and won the PIAA Class A championship.

The Mounts are in first place in Berks IV and looking for their first division title since 2014-15. They are on pace for their first 20-win season since 1993-94, when they finished 20-6.

The Tigers are in first place in Berks III and looking for their first division title in at least 40 years, if not longer. They’re looking to make the Berks Conference Tournament for the first time in 18 years; they haven’t won a division title over the past 40 seasons.