NTL BOYS BASKETBALL: ATHENS CLOSES OUT REGULAR SEASON WITH 55-37 WIN OVER WYALUSING (2019-02-15)
Valley Sports ReportWYALUSING - Athens opened up its lead in the second quarter, then blew the game wide open in third quarter en route to a 55-37 win over Wyalusing in the regular-season finale of the NTL boys basketball season.
Junior Aaron Lane scored six points, including a 4-for-4 effort at the free-throw line, in the first quarter, while junior Keegan Rude canned a 3-pointer and scored five points, and senior Aric Westbrook added a 3-pointer to help Athens to a 14-11 lead after the first eight minutes.
Sophomore Benny Gambrell scored four points in the second quarter, and Lane drained a 3-pointer as the Wildcats used a 10-4 spurt to take a 24-15 lead into the halftime intermission.
In the third quarter, Lane knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points, and Rude also scored eight points, including a 4-for-4 performance at the free-throw line, to fuel a 22-9 run that pushed the Wildcat lead to 22 points, at 46-24, entering the final eight minutes.
Athens made 10 of 11 free-throw attempts in the third quarter, and was 16 of 22 in the game. Wyalusing made 3 of 7 attempts from the stripe.
Lane led Athens with 21 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, while Rude scored 17 points, Gambrell added 11 points, and Westbrook chipped in with six points.
Shane Fuhrey led Wyalusing with eight points.
Athens wraps up the 2018-19 regulars-season campaign with a 14-8 record.
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IN PHOTO: Athens junior Aaron Lane.