NTL BOYS BASKETBALL: WYALUSING EDGES ATHENS, 54-51, IN CRAZY FINAL SECONDS (17 PHOTOS) (2019-01-18)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS - Wyalusing let a 16-point first-half lead slip away, only to rally in the final seconds for a 54-51 win over Athens here Friday night in one of the wildest endings to a game in recent memory.

The Rams led 16-6 at the end of the first quarter, and 24-8 early in the second quarter, but senior Aric Westbrook scored six points in a 16-0 Wildcat run to close out the first half that sent the game to the intermission tied at 24-24.

The game went back-and-forth in the second half, with Athens scoring more than half their points (16 to 11) from the free-throw line.

Junior Brady Smith buried a 3-pointer, and the Wildcats made 6 of 8 free-throw attempts in the third quarter, but Wyalusing's Mitchell Burke, Ryan Armitage and Shane Fuhrey scored four points apiece to help the Rams to a 38-37 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

Sophomore Ben Gambrell and senior Aric Westbrook, who was 6-for-6 at the line in the fourth quarter, scored six points apiece in the final stanza to help the Wildcats to a 51-48 lead with 26.7 seconds remaining.

Freshman Kashawn Cameron drained a 3-pointer - his only points of the game, from the corner with 15 seconds remaining to tie the game at 51-51.

Moments later, Athens got off three shots in an attempt to take the lead, but couldn't get one to fall. The Wildcats' final shot was rebounded by the Rams and ended up in the hands of Fuhrey, who took off up the sidelines looking for a game-winning shot.

Fuhrey, however, was fouled hard on the sideline in the backcourt with 1 second remaining in the game, and was awarded two free throws as the result of an intentional foul call, which also resulted in Wyalusing retaining possession of the ball after the free throws.

Fuhrey connected on both free throws to give Wyalusing a 53-51 lead. The Wildcats committed another foul before the ball was in-bounded, and Fuhrey again went to the line.

Fuhrey missed his first free throw, but made the second to make it 54-51.

The Wildcats' full-court in-bound pass deflected off Gambrell's hands to Westbrook in the corner. Westbrook got off a clean, but off-balanced jumper at the buzzer that drew iron and caromed harmlessly to the floor.

Gambrell led Athens with 14 points, while Westbrook scored 12, junior Keegan Rude had nine points, Smith added eight points, and junior Aaron Lane chipped in with six points.

Fuhrey led Wyalusing with 13 points, while Burke scored 11 points, Armitage added 10 points, and Way chipped in with nine.

Athens, now 8-4, hosts Troy Tuesday night.

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IN PHOTO 1: Athens sophomore Ben Gambrell. .... PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.