NTL BOYS BASKETBALL: ATHENS PULLS OUT 66-58 WIN OVER NP-MANSFIELD (20 PHOTOS) (February 4, 2026)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS — Senior Nick Grazul hit a pair of big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and Athens made its free throws down the stretch to pull out a 66-58 win over North Penn-Mansfield here Wednesday night in NTL Large School Division boys basketball action.

"I am very proud of our kids," said Athens coach Jim Lister. "We are playing good basketball. They are listening, being coachable and they want to win. They’re leaving it all out there."

"It was another nice team win for the Wildcats," added Lister.

Senior Adam Kemp and junior Lucas Schultz scored five points apiece in the first quarter to help Athens to a 19-15 lead after the opening stanza.

Schultz scored five more points, including his second 3-pointer of the game, and senior James Friend scored four points as Athens maintained a four-point lead, at 30-26, heading into the halftime intermission.

Schultz scored eight points in the third quarter, including another 3-pointer, and senior Eli Hobday and freshman Aiden Briggs added treys, but NP-M outscored Athens, 18-16, to close the gap to 46-44 heading into the final eight minutes.

In the fourth quarter, Grazul buried a pair of 3-pointers and scored eight of his 10 points, while Hobday made 5 of 6 free-throw attempts, and Schultz added four points to fuel a game-closing 20-14 run for the Wildcats.

Athens made 10 of 14 free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter, after making 4 of 8 in the first three quarters.

Schultz led Athens with 22 points, while Grazul scored 10, Kemp had nine, Hobday scored eight, Friend had seven, Briggs added six and junior Kam Wheeler chipped in with four.

"A big shout-out to Lucas Shultz, who played very well tonight," said Lister. "And how about Nick Grazul being a Senior Captain and banging home some big-time threes in the second half when we need them most."

Athens, now 12-7, returns to action Friday at Troy.

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IN PHOTO 1: Athens junior Lucas Schultz. ... PHOTOS BY MATT PATTON.

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