NTL BOYS BASKETBALL: MOSHER'S MONSTER DOUBLE-DOUBLE LEADS ATHENS IN 57-44 WIN OVER WYALUSING (24 PHOTOS) (2023-12-20)
By TIM BIRNEYValley Sports ReportATHENS - Senior Conner Mosher had a monster double-double, and senior Korey Miller sparked a decisive 13-0 third-quarter run that broke open a tie game in Athens’ 57-44 win over Wyalusing here Wednesday night in NTL Large School Division boys basketball action.
"We came out early, shooting poorly again, but held them to 22 points in the first half," said Athens coach Jim Lister.
"We really got into them at halftime to pick up the intensity on both sides of the ball," noted Lister. "Our first six points (of the second half) were lay-ups.
"We need to get back to pushing the ball, get the ball down the court, make some lay-ups and put the pressure on," continued Lister. "I think we did that really well in the third quarter.
"I’m proud of the kids they continue to work hard and be coachable," he added. "It was another nice team win."
Both teams struggled from the field in the opening stanza, but Athens made 5 of 8 shots from the free-throw line, and led 13-7 at the end of the first eight minutes.
Mosher scored six points in the second quarter, and senior Nicholas Jacob buried a 3-pointer, but Wyalusing used a 15-9 run to tie the game at 22-22 at the half.
The two teams traded buckets in the opening minutes, and were tied at 24-24, when Miller fed Mosher for a bucket in the low blocks to give the Wildcats the lead for good, at 26-24, with 5:14 remaining in the third quarter.
After the teams exchanged possessions without scoring, Miller canned a 3-pointer with 4:47 remaining to make it 29-24.
Wyalusing missed four consecutive free throws, and failed to take advantage of three offensive rebounds over the next minute. Miler then knocked down an 18-foot jumper to push the lead to 31-24 with 3:38 remaining in the third quarter.
Mosher scored a trio of buckets in quick succession — the first off a coast-to-coast drive off a defensive rebound, the second on a fast-break feed from Miller, and the third on an offensive putback — to make it 37-24 with 2:28 remaining in the third quarter.
The quarter ended with the teams exchanging buckets, and the Wildcats led 41-28 entering the final eight minutes.
A pair of free throws by Mosher gave Athens a 43-28 lead in the opening moments of the final stanza, but the Rams scored the next four points to close the gap to 43-32.
The Rams closed the gap to 10 points, at 47-37, midway through the fourth quarter, but buckets by Junior Jase Babcock and Mosher quickly made it 51-37.
Four straight free throws by Mosher gave the Wildcats their biggest lead, at 55-37, with 1:35 left in the game.
Mosher pumped in 28 points, and pulled down 20 rebounds, including seven offensive boards, to go along with six assists, and three steals.
Miller added seven points, two assists, and four steals in the win, while sophomore Nick Grazul had seven points, and five rebounds, Babcock had six points, six rebounds, and two blocked shots, and Jones chipped in with four points.
Trehnon Hugo led Wyalusing with 19 points, and Nick Vanderpool Jr. added 13.
Athens, now 5-2, returns to action Wednesday when it hosts Sayre in the opening round of the Valley Christmas Tournament.
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IN PHOTO 1: Athens senior Korey Miller. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.
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