NTL BOYS BASKETBALL: NORTHEAST BRADFORD PULLS AWAY FROM SAYRE IN 59-42 WIN (22 PHOTOS) (2023-12-20)
By CHRIS MANNINGValley Sports ReportSAYRE — It was an up-and-down day for Northeast Bradford boys’ basketball, but their ups were better than their downs, allowing them to pull away for a 59-42 win over Sayre to stay undefeated in NTL Small School Division hoops action.
"We had 13 turnovers in the first half, we were just sloppy," said NEB coach Paul Burgert. "We turned it over less in the second half, and we shot it pretty well."
They finished with 20 turnovers for the game, and when they didn’t turn it over they usually came away with points, going 21-for-33 as a team from the field.
Drew Beers had the big night, going 5-for-6 from deep for a team leading 17 points. He went 4-for-4 in the third quarter from 3-point range, a key factor in them pulling away in the second half.
"I’ve been waiting for it," Burgert remarked. "He had a really good scrimmage our first scrimmage. He even scored in our second scrimmage, and then the games started, and it wasn’t there. Tonight is maybe his break out."
They did a solid job finding the open man, assisting on 13 of their 21 made buckets.
Jost Stanton had eight points on 4-for-5 shooting, with six assists, four steals, and four boards, while Cooper Brown was 5-for-7 from the field for 11 points to go with six rebounds.
Dillon Donnelly had eight points and two steals, as Eli Stanton was 3-for-3 for seven points. Cayden McPherson chipped in with four points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Brayden Miller netted four points, as well.
Junior Nick Pellicano had a big night for Sayre, scoring 22 points, but, for the most part, it was an off night for the Redskins from the floor.
"We came out flat," said Sayre coach Paul Blythe. "Two games in a row, we really relied on our defense. We’d get stops, but we just couldn’t come down and execute on our side. We don’t have the discipline, yet, to play a game where we can have 34 turnovers; 34 turnovers led to 29 points for them, and that’s just something we can’t have."
Junior Ryan Ressler had six points with junior Mikey Griffin netting five. junior Zach Senese finished with three, and freshman Declan Barry, senior Tanner Green, and junior Hudson Trump had two points apiece.
Neither team had an auspicious first quarter, one which saw NEB take a 10-4 lead behind six points from Brown. A late putback fromGreen made it 11-6 after the first eight minutes.
Sayre used that momentum to start the second with a 5-0 run, as Ressler got a bucket, followed by an old[-fashioned three-point play out of Pellicano to knot things up at 11-11.
The two teams would trade buckets, followed by Beers hitting his first 3-ball of the night. Sayre would cut it to 16-15 with a Pellicano putback, but the Panthers answered that with a 9-0 run.
Josh Stanton found McPherson for a jumper, followed by an Eli Stanton steal and lay-up. Donnelly hit a 3-ball, followed by another Eli Stanton bucket to put NEB up 25-15.
In the final minute, though, Sayre got four of those points back as Pellicano hit a basket, then found Trump for a score to make it 25-19 at the half.
Griffin made it a 3-point game early with a lay-up plus the free throw. Josh Stanton and Pellicano then traded lay-ups to keep it a 3-point game.
NEB got a little bit of breathing room with back-to-back baskets from Brown, but a Griffin steal and lay-up saw Sayre cut it to 31-25.
That’s when the threes parade started, courtesy of Beers. He hit his first to push the Panthers to a 34-26 lead.
After a Sayre lay-up Brown hit a freebie, followed by an Eli Stanton bucket to make it 37-28 NEB.
Beers then had back-to-back 3-balls to extend their lead to 43-28, with Pellicano getting a lay-up to end the 9-0 run.
Beers would hit another 3-ball, though, followed by a Josh Stanton steal and lay-up to extend the lead to 18 points.
Pellicano ended the quarter with a runner to make it 48-32 with one quarter left.
The good news for Sayre was Beers got his fourth foul to start the fourth quarter, sending him to the bench. Ressler then had a putback to make it 48-34.
However, after Josh Stanton went 1-for-2 from the line Donnelly hit a 3-ball to make it an 18-point game again.
Sayre never really threatened NEB again, with Pellicano hitting a lay-up to make it 54-37 with 3:50 left to play.
However, NEB answered with a 4-0 run off two Beers free throws and a Josh Stanton driving lay-up, extending the lead to 21 points.
Sayre would get a putback from Barry, and a 3-ball out of Senese to make it 58-42, while Miller went 1-for-2 from the line in the final seconds for the 59-42 final.
Sayre (3-4) has the upcoming Valley Christmas Tournament next week and Blythe knows what they’re going to work on in the meantime.
"We drew some stuff, and were able to cut through and get Pellicano working in the lane, and it worked," said Blythe. "Then we just would get away from that. We’d throw a bad pass or take a bad shot, and it would lead to some breakouts for them."
NEB (6-1) now has the pole position for the marathon race that is the battle for the NTL Small School crown.
They have a non-league meeting with Benton next week before getting back to their league schedule in January.
As for the things they’ll be working, it’s the same thing they’ve been working on all season.
"Rebounding and turnovers," said Burgert. "Those are our two Achilles’ Heels."
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IN PHOTO 1: Sayre’s Nick Pellicano. … PHOTOS BY BRANDON CLAYPOOL.
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