NTL BOYS BASKETBALL: FOURTH-QUARTER RUN LIFTS ATHENS TO 47-38 WIN OVER WYALUSING (10 PHOTOS) (2025-01-27)

Valley Sports Report
WYALUSING — After playing even for three quarters, Athens turned up the defensive pressure, and pulled out a 47-38 win over Wyalusing here Monday night in NTL Large School Division boys basketball action.

"Tonight was a hard fought game," said Athens coach Jim Lister. "I give a lot of credit to Coach Keyes and the Wyalusing Rams. They have had tremendously tough week in that community.  They came out to play and made us earn every bit of that win tonight."

Sophomore Lucas Schultz scored nine points in the fourth quarter, and junior James Friend added four points in a 17-8 game-closing run. The Wildcats made 6 of 11 free-throw attempts down the stretch to nail down the win.

"We won tonight in the fourth quarter," said Lister. "We turned up the defensive pressure and got some key turnovers when we needed them.

"Offensively, we moved the ball well as a team in the fourth quarter," he noted. "We got some good looks and made some key shots when we had to late in the game.

"Again, I am going to give another big shout for the second game in a row to sophomore Lucas Shultz, who had 9 of his game-high 14 points in the fourth quarter.

"It's another nice team win for the 'Cats and now going into Wednesday night game vs Sayre with some momentum," added Lister.

Junior Adam Kemp canned a 3-pointer and scored five points in the first quarter, and Schultz added a trey to help the Wildcats to a 12-11 lead after the first eight minutes.

Four different Wildcats scored a bucket in the second quarter, but the FRmas had a 9-8 edge in scoring to tie the game at 20-20 heading into the halftime locker room.

Junior Nick Grazul drained a 3-pointer and scored five points in the third quarter for the Wildcats, but both teams managed just seven points in the stanza, and the game was deadlocked at 27-27 heading into the final eight minutes.

Schultz led Athens with 14 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, while Friend scored nine points, Kemp added eight points, and Grazul chipped in with seven points.

Athens, now 6-10, hosts Sayre Wednesday.

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PHOTOS BY JOHN NYSTAND.

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