Valley Sports ReportSAYRE — Tioga got out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter, and then held on for a 62-56 win over Athens here Friday night in the consolation game of the Valley Christmas Boys Basketball Tournament.
"We started the game much better tonight than last night, and sustained that good play through much of the game," said first-year Tioga coach Connor Hutchinson.
"Athens did a good job making it hard on us bringing the ball up the floor, but our guys did well taking care of the basketball, making smart decisions, and our shot selection was good tonight as well," he noted.
"The main takeaway was the improvement I saw in areas that have hurt us thus far this season, which speaks to the type of players we have on the team," said Hutchinson. "They are coachable guys who work hard and play hard night-in and night-out.
"Due to that, I’m excited to see what we can do as we move forward this season," he added.
Sophomore Jackson Bombard knocked down a 3-pointer and scored seven points in the first quarter, and sophomore Gavin Kithcart added four points to fuel a game-opening 15-3 run.
The Wildcats worked their way to the free-throw line in the second quarter, and took advantage of Tioga's charity, knocking down 9 of 11, with sophomore Lucas Schultz going 4-for-4, and junior Nick Grazul 3-for-3.
Schultz also canned a 3-pointer for seven points in the stanza, while Grazul scored five, and sophomore Gage Marmor drained a 3-pointer, but Athens only trimmed one point of the Tioga lead with a 19-18 advantage, thanks to eight points by junior Dominic Palmer and five more from Bombard, who also knocked down hits second 3-pointer.
Athens knocked down three more 3-pointers in the third quarter — one each by Schultz, Grazul, and Babcock, and Babcock was 5 of 6 from the free-throw line, but again the Wildcats could only knock two points off its deficit with a 16-14 advantage, thanks to six points from Tioga's Brady Landmesser and five more by Bombard.
In the fourth quarter, Tioga made 8 of 12 free throws to secure the win, with Bombard and Landmesser each making three of four.
Bombard led Tioga with 20 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, seven rebounds, and seven assists, while Landmesser had 15 points and five rebounds, and Palmer had 12 points and nine boards.
Junior James Miller added nine points and nine rebounds in the win, and Kithcart chipped in with four points and five rebonds.
Babcock, who made 13 of 17 free-throw attempts, including his last nine in a row, led Athens with 22 points, while Grazul scored 12 points, and Schultz added 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Tioga, now 3-4, returns to action Jan. 3 when it hosts Moravia, while Athens, now 2-6, travels to Wellsboro on Jan. 4.
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IN PHOTO 1: Tioga's Brady Landmesser. IN TOP PHOTO: Tioga's Jackson Bombard. ... PHOTOS BY MATT PATTON.
