ATHENS THUMPS WILLIAMSON; SEWS UP SPOT IN NTL SHOWDOWN
By: Tim Birney | AthensWildcats.com | February 16, 2022
TIOGA JUNCTION — Athens took command early, and cruised to a 67-42 win
over Williamson here Wednesday night to clinch a berth in the NTL Boys
Basketball Showdown.
The Wildcats, who finish the regular season
at 16-6, travel to Wyalusing for a Showdown semi-final match-up
Thursday, while Troy hosts Canton in the other semi-final game.
The
game was also highlighted by another career milestone for Athens senior
J.J. Babcock. After scoring his 1,000th point last week, Babcock hauled
down his 500th career rebound Wednesday night.
Senior Troy
Pritchard, and junior Mason Lister scored buckets in the opening minutes
to give Athens a 4-0 lead, but the Warriors rallied to tie the game at
6-6.
Babcock knocked down a short jumper to make it 8-6 and the Wildcats never relinquished the lead.
Senior Nalen Carling turned a steal into a lay-up, then fed Babcock for a bucket to make it 12-6.
Babcock
scored in transition to make it 15-8, then Lister drained a 3-pointer
to extend the lead to 18-8 with 2 1/2 remaining in the first quarter.
Williamson
trimmed the deficit to 18-10, but Athens answered with 10 straight
points, including four by Babcock and four by senior Tucker Brown, to
make it 28-10 with 15 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
Williamson
drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer, and outscored Athens, 11-10 , in the
second quarter to close the gap to 38-24 at the half.
Any
thoughts of a Williamson comeback were vanquished quickly as Athens
started the second half with a 9-0 run, capped by a 3-pointer by Lister,
to make it 47-24.
The Wildcats extended their lead to 63-35 in
the closing seconds of the third quarter on a 3-pointer by sophomore
Korey Miller, then took their biggest lead of the game, at 65-35, in the
opening minute of the final stanza on a putback by freshman Kolsen
Keathley.
Williamson closed the game with a 7-2 spurt.
Babcock
led Athens with 19 points and five rebounds, while Brown scored nine
points, and Carling had eight points, eight rebounds, and four steals.
Junior
Chris Mitchell had eight points and seven boards for the Wildcats,
while Lister added seven points, four rebounds, and six assists, Miller
chipped in with six points on a pair of 3-pointers and three rebounds,
Pritchard pulled down five rebounds, senior Ryan Thompson had four
boards and two steals, and Keathley grabbed three boards and recorded
two steals.
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