IAC GIRLS BASKETBALL: TIOGA KNOCKS OFF TOWANDA, 65-59, IN REGULAR-SEASON FINALE (2020-02-12)

Valley Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER "" Juniors Eve Wood and Olivia Ayres provided the scoring punch, and seniors Giovanna Rossi and Chloe Bellis dominated the boards to lead Tioga to a 65-59 win over NTL Large School champion Towanda here Wednesday night in non-league girls basketball action.

Ayres knocked down a trio of 3-pointers, and scored 11 points in the first quarter, and Chloe Bellis added four points, but Towanda's Paige Manchester and Amanda Horton each drained a pair of 3-pointers to help the Lady Black Knights to a 19-18 lead.

Ayres canned two more 3-pointers in the second quarter, while Wood hit a 3-pointer and scored five points, and Rossi added four points to offset two more 3-pointers by Manchester and five points by Horton, and draw the Lady Tigers into a 35-35 tie at the half.

Towanda shut down Ayres in the third quarter, but Wood, who connected on a pair of 3-pointers, and Chloe Bellis scored eight points apiece as Tioga used an 18-15 advantage in the stanza to take a 53-50 lead into the final eight minutes.

Tioga, which was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line in the first three quarters, including a 6-or-6 performance by Wood, made 6 of 13 free throws in the fourth quarter, but it was enough to preserve the victory.

Wood led Tioga with 21 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals, while Ayres had 19 points, including five 3-pointers on seven shots from behind the arc, and three boards, and Chloe Bellis packed the stat sheet with 14 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and six steals.

Rossi had seven points and 20 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive glass, in the win, while junior Ari Manwaring added four points and eight boards, and sophomore Julia Bellis grabbed six rebounds.

Manchester and Horton led Towanda with 17 points and four 3-pointers apiece, and Porschia Bennett added nine points.

Tioga wraps up regular-season play with a 9-11 record, and now awaits word on its opening-round match-up in the upcoming Section IV, Class C playoffs.

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IN PHOTO: Tioga's Eve Wood.

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