Hoop Notes: Muhls move up, Lynx streaking, Eagles & Saints set for clash (updated)

(Updated to reflect changes to scoring figures for Berks Catholic playes, and Muhlenberg’s District 3 power rating.)

A five-game winning streak, including big weekend wins over Dallas and Bethlehem Liberty, have boosted Muhlenberg, which now sits at No. 3 in the District 3 Class 5A power ratings with three games to play.

If the Muhls can hold that spot they’ll open at home in the district tournament, Feb. 20, and have a chance to play at home again in the quarterfinals Feb. 23 should they win their opener.

It won’t be easy to hold that spot. The Muhls (13-5) play at Wilson Monday in what’s shaping up as a huge game for both and finish their regular season against Reading High Feb. 7.

Muhlenberg lost to both the first time around, 62-41 to Wilson and 77-60 to Reading.

The Muhls got a huge week from senior guard Jay’Daniel Mosquera, who scored a season-high 26 points in a win over Gov. Mifflin, had seven assists in the 67-64 win over Dallas and 25 points, including a career-high six 3’s, in a 67-57 win over Liberty.

The win over Dallas was especially impressive. The Wyomissing Valley Conference leaders came to Laureldale with a 15-1 record.

The Muhls have more losses than any of the top 5A contenders but are in line for a sweet spot in the bracket because they have played such a tough schedule. Their .647 strength of schedule rating is easily the highest among the 29 Class 5A teams in the district, and higher than 21 of the 26 Class 6A teams.

Muhlenberg owns wins over Berks Catholic, the top-rated team in Class 4A and Columbia, the top-rated team in Class 3A.

Muhlenberg was the only Berks team to beat Reading High last year. It went into the Class 6A Tournament as the No. 12 seed and paid the price with a tough first-round game at Cedar Cliff. The Muhls were eliminated 55-54 after a questionable foul in the final seconds and a pair of go-ahead free throws by Tyler Houser.

Showdown looming

Exeter’s win over Wilson Friday sets up a showdown against Berks Catholic for the Berks II title. They’ll meet Thursday at Wolf Gymnasium.

The Saints took the first meeting 73-63 Dec. 22 at Reiffton. The Eagles couldn’t contain Josiah Jordan, who went off for a career-high 32 points.

Exeter has held four opponents below 40 opponents since, and has won seven of its last eight to move up to No. 6 in the District 3 Class 5A power ratings.

The Eagles (13-5) have had trouble getting past the Saints (17-2): They have lost six straight in the series and 10-of-11 overall. Exeter coach Matt Ashcroft is 1-6 vs. his former coach, Snip Esterly; they won a state championship together at Central Catholic.

Then again everyone in Division II has trouble getting past the Saints. Berks Catholic has won 65 straight games in Berks II play and has gone 96-1 overall, with nine division titles in nine previous seasons playing in the division.

Berks Catholic played in Berks I the past two seasons before returning to Berks II this season.

Most improved?

Schuylkill Valley is the most improved team in the Berks Conference this season, in terms of net wins. The Panthers finished 7-14 last season; they’re 13-5 with four regular season games left, plus potentially a couple more in the postseason.

Hamburg (9-9) has already topped last season’s win total by four. Daniel Boone, which went winless last season, has three wins. Fleetwood, which finished 16-8 a year ago, has already topped that win total by three and has at least four games left, more if it continues to win in the postseason.

Lynx move up

Oley Valley, which has won eight straight, clinched the Berks IV title Friday and moved up three spots in the District 3 Class 3A power rankings, to No. 3.

If the Lynx (15-4) can hold that spot they’ll get a home opener in the district tournament Feb. 20.

The Lynx will be favored in each of their final three games, against Brandywine Heights, at Antietam, and against Kutztown.

If they sweep they’ll finish the regular season with 18 wins, their most since 2004-05, when they went 22-5 and reached the Berks Conference championship game.

Oley is looking to win a game in the district playoffs for the first time since 2007.

It has gone out in the first round in each of the past two seasons, and in four straight appearances.

Closing in on record

All-Berks guard Josiah Jordan goes into Thursday’s game against Exeter with 1,100 points, 18 short of Casey Jack’s program-record 1,118 points.

Jordan was the fifth player in the program’s 12 seasons to score 1,000 points for the Saints, joining Jack, Nana Foulland, Connor Jack and Luis Garcia.

With an extended playoff run Ryan Koch can join Jordan in the Saints’ 1,000-point club. Koch, who will play at Pitt-Johnstown next season, has 881 points.

If he continues at his current scoring pace, 14.2 per game, he’ll need about nine more games. The Saints have three games left in the regular season, could play three times in the Berks Conference tournament if they reach the title game, and three more times in the District 3 Class 4A Tournament if they reach the final game.

The top six finishers in the district tournament advance to the PIAA Tournament, so a win by Berks Catholic in its district opener would clinch a state berth. The Saints are ranked No. 1 in the power ratings; the top six earn first-round byes.

Marquis Marshall topped 1,000 points while playing for Berks Catholic his senior season in 2012; he finished with 1,140 career points, the last 478 with the Saints.

Donovon Jack scored 1,199 points at Central Catholic before playing his senior season with Berks Catholic; he finished with 1,725 points.

Freeze warning

The District 3 deadline for adding games to the schedule is Wednesday; any games added to the schedule after that point will not count in the district power ratings.

All games scheduled by Feb. 1 and played by Feb. 15 will count toward the power ratings, which are used to seed teams for the tournament.