NTL BOYS BASKETBALL: SLOW START, TURNOVERS PROVE COSTLY IN ATHENS' 63-49 LOSS AT TOWANDA (16 PHOTOS) (2024-12-19)
Valley Sports ReportTOWANDA — Athens got off to a slow start, dug itself a big hole, and never recovered in a 63-49 loss to Towanda here Thursday night in NTL Large School boys basketball action.
"I am going to give a lot of credit to coach (Landon) Henry and the Towanda Black Knights," said Athens coach Jim Lister. "They wanted it more tonight than we did.
We only scored 15 points in the first half, and they took it to us.
"We turned it up in the second half and we got within six, but we turned the ball over 24 times tonight, and we just could not overcome our mistakes," noted Lister.
"Back to the drawing board as coaches to try to figure out who we can put on the floor that will give us the best opportunity to win," he added.
Towanda led 9-8 after the first quarter, then used a 16-7 run in the second quarter to open up a 25-15 halftime lead.
Both teams picked up the pace offensively in the third quarter. Senior Jase Babcock pumped in 12 points, including a 3-pointer, and junior Adam Kemp added four points, but Towanda outscored Athens, 22-20, to take a 47-35 lead into the final eight minutes.
Sophomore Kam Wheeler, and junior James Friend knocked down 3-pointers to close the gap to 47-41 with 6:40 remaining in the contest, but Towanda answered with an 8-0 run to make it 55-41 with 4:20 remaining.
Athens used a 6-2 spurt to trim the deficit to 57-47 with 1:40 remaining, but would get no closer.
Babcock led Athens with 22 points, while junior Nick Grazul scored eight points, Kemp added six points, and junior James Friend chipped in with five points.
Freshman Boom Thompson led Towanda with 13 points, and Darrius Farrell added 12 points.
Athens, now 2-4, hosts Waverly Thursday in the opening round of the Valley Christmas Tournament.
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING.
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