ATHENS ROLLS OVER WELLSBORO FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN SINCE NEW YEAR

By: Tim Birney  /  January 14, 2022

WELLSBORO — Athens raced out to a 15-point first-quarter lead, and cruised to a 42-9 victory over Wellsboro Friday night — one of three NTL junior varsity boys basketball wins for the junior Wildcats since the New Year.

Conner Mosher scored seven points in the first quarter, and Xavier Watson added four to fuel a 17-2 Wildcat blitz in the opening eight minutes.

Matt Aquilio and Nicholas Jacob each canned 3-pointers in the second quarter as Athens used a 10-3 run to extend their lead to 27-5 at the half.

Troy Rosenbloom and Korey Miller scored four points apiece in the third quarter in a 10-4 spurt that pushed the lead to 37-9 heading into the final eight minutes.

Mosher led Athens with 11 points, while Miller and Watson scored six points apiece, Aquilio added five points, and Rosenbloom chipped in with four.

Athens hosts Troy Monday night.

Wednesday
Athens 45, NP-Mansfield 22
At Mansfield, Athens used a third-quarter blitz to blow open a close game on its way to a 45-22 win over North Penn-Mansfield Wednesday.

Korey Miller and Xavier Watson scored four points apiece in the first quarter to help Athens to a 12-2 win after the first eight minutes.

NP-M outscored Athens, 11-9, in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 21-13 at the half, but the third quarter was all Wildcats.

Watson scored eight points, Kolsen Keathley added five, and Conner Mosher knocked down a 3-pointer in a 16-0 blitz that gave Athens a 37-13 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

Watson led Athens with 14 points, while Keathley scored nine, Mosher added six points, and Miller chipped in with four.

Jan. 6
Athens 33, Towanda 32
At Athens, Athens led by 11 points after the first quarter, bit Towanda rallied to take a lead into the fourth quarter, only to have Athens answer in a 33-32 win.

Six different junior Wildcats scored in the first eight minutes, and the defense pitched a shutout in an 11-0 run.

Korey Miller knocked down a 3-pointer and scored five points in the second quarter, and Peter Jones added a 3-pointer, but Towanda used a 12-10 advantage to cut the deficit to 21-12 at the half.

The tide turned in the third quarter as Towanda held Athens without a field goal in a 12-2 blitz that gave the Black Knights a 24-23 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

Towanda maintained its lead throughout the fourth quarter, despite a 3-pointer by Troy Rosenbloom, until Xavier Watson scored on a lay-up in the closing seconds for the win.

Miller led Athens with nine points, while Jack Cheresnowsky, Noah Hobday, and Conner Mosher added four points apiece.