HS GIRLS BASKETBALL: DEFENSE HIGHLIGHTS ATHENS’ ROUT OF TIOGA (December 29, 2025)

By TIM TAYLOR
Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Athens showcased an impressive defensive effort to rout Tioga, 54-16, in the opening round of the 2025 CHOP Out Hunger Holiday Basketball Tournament here Monday.

The Wildcats opened the game with a 7-0 run and never looked back as McKenna Jarvis wrapped a traditional 3-point play and a basket around a bucket by Alissa Vough.

Athens coach Kelly Allen was pleased with the Wildcats’ defensive effort.

“Defense is what's going to set the tone for us. Helps us get on transition a few times, let us get into a little bit of an easier throw offensively. It's every night. It's our 2-3 defense.

Allen was happy with the offense as well, although she still sees room for improvement.

“It’s a work in progress,” she said. “There's things we need to work on, but overall, I thought we did some good things on offense. We're trying to do a few different things, so it's something we'll continue to work on.

“I think we need to see the floor a little bit better, but we did make some nice passes. Our transition overall was, I thought, good for us.”

A pair of 3-pointers from Athens’ Allison Kemp surrounded a traditional 3-point play by the Tigers’ Kaylynne Miller, pushing the lead to 15-5.

Athens closed out the opening period with a 6-point run. Kemp, Jarvis and Vough accounted for nine, eight and seven points, respectively, in the quarter

The Wildcats tallied the first five points of the second quarter to build a 26-5 cushion, then Miller would interrupt the burst with a basket with 4:15 remaining in the period, but the Wildcats closed out the half on a 10-2 run.

Jarvis pumped out nine more points before the break, giving her a game-high 16.

Miller put up the first bucket of the second half, Athens countered with a half-dozen more markers to make it 42-11 before Irie Lynch knocked down a trey for Tioga.

The Wildcats put together a 9-0 run in the final frame.

Tioga coach Stephanie Hills was disappointed that her team was unable to generate an offensive threat.

“We didn't run our offense once,” she said. "We struggled with the press break that we had in play. We couldn't run our positions possessing the ball. We did not play the game of basketball that we have had potential to play in the past. Today was just not a good day.”

Joining Jarvis in double digits were Kemp with 14 points and Vough with 10. Ava Hughes chipped in with seven points while Alexis and Brielle Mayo tracked on four and three, respectively.

Jarvis had seven rebounds, five steals and two assists; Kemp contributed five boards, three assists and three steals; Brielle Mayo came away with four steals; Megan Morgan grabbed four rebounds; Cough added seven rebounds and two steals; and Bilikula Wennie had four steals and two boards.

Lydiah Decker, the Tigers’ lone senior, accounted for a half-dozen points, and Lynch and Miller added five points apiece.

Tioga plays Candor at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the consolation game while Athens takes on Owego at 6:15 p.m. for the championship.

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PHOTOS BY TIM TAYLOR.

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