NTL BOYS BASKETBALL: JV CALL-UP MARMOR SPARKS ATHENS IN 67-56 WIN OVER COWANESQUE VALLEY (24 PHOTOS) (2024-12-16)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Junior Nick Grazul and senior Jase Babcock combined for 27 second-half points, but it was a pair of 3-pointers by JV call-up sophomore Gage Marmor that sparked the Wildcats to a 67-56 win over Cowanesque Valley here Monday night in NTL boys basketball action.

"I was very pleased with our effort tonight — the boys played hard," said Athens coach Jim Lister.

"I'm also very pleased with the way Jase Babcock and Nick Grazul shot the ball tonight.

"Also a big shout out to sophomore Gage Marmor, who was brought up tonight based on his effort throughout the first four JV games," added Lister. "He hit a couple big-time threes for us in the third quarter to turn the momentum our way, and we never look back."

Grazul knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight points in the first quarter, and Babcock added five points, including a 3-pointer to help Athens to a 17-7 lead, but CV closed the opening stanza with a 7-4 spurt to close the gap to 21-14.

The Indians began to handle the Wildcat full-court pressure better in the second quarter, and rallied to take a two-point lead in the final minute. A bucket by Athens senior Peter Jones sent the game into the halftime locker room at 29-29.

Babcock knocked down a 3-pointer with 5:33 remaining in the third quarter to give the Wildcats the lead for good, at 36-33.

Leading 40-37 late in the quarter, Marmor hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a 60-second span to extend the lead Athens lead to 46-37 with 47 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Babcock canned another 3-pointer with 12 seconds left in the quarter to give the Wildcats a 49-38 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

Babcock started the third quarter with a short jumper in the lane, and a 3-pointer from the top-of-the-key to make it 54-38 with 7:18 remaining.

The Wildcats extended their lead to 18 points on a bucket by Grazul midway through the quarter, and CV never got closer than 11 points the remainder of the game.

Grazul led Athens with 23 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and 10 rebounds, while Babcock scored 20 points, including four 3-pointers, and seven boards, Marmor scored six points, senior Troy Rosenbloom added five points, and Jones and junior James Friend chipped in with four points. Junior Talon Baglini also grabbed four rebounds.

Josh Teague led CV with 14 points, and Ashton Burdick scored 13.

Athens, now 2-3, returns to action Thursday at Towanda.

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IN PHOTO 1: Athens senior Jase Babcock. IN TOP PHOTO: Athens sophomore Gage Marmor. ... PHOTOS 1-18 BY TIM BIRNEY — PHOTOS 19-24 BY ROWAN MORALES.

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