Valley Sports Report
TOWANDA — For three quarters, Athens outplayed Towanda, taking a 31-26 lead into the fourth quarter. Then, disaster struck, as they were outscored 19-5 in the final frame to fall to the Knights, 43-36, in NTL girls’ basketball action Saturday.

“They went to that 2-2-1 three-quarters court trap,” explained Athens coach Brian Miller. “They ran that earlier in the game, and we handled it effectively, but we struggled big time with it.

WYALUSING — Mya Thompson registered a double-double, and led three scorers in double-figures in Athens’ 45-21 win over Wyalusing here Thursday in NTL junior varsity girls basketball action.

Karlee Bartlow scored seven points in the first quarter, and Emma Bronson added five points, including a 3-pointer, to fuel the junior Wildcats’ 13-0 first-quarter run.

Abby Champion scored five points, including a 3-pointer, and Thomson added four points as Athens stretched its lead to 16 points, at 25-9, heading into the halftime locker room.

Thompson scored eight points in the second half, while Bronson had six points, and Bartlow added four to help Athens extend its lead in both quarters.

Thompson had 13 points, 13 rebounds, six steals, two assists, and two blocked shots to lead Athens, while  Bartlow had 13 points, four steals, and three assists, and Bronson added 12 points, five steals, and two assists.

Champion chipped in with five points, three boards, and one blocked shot in the win, and Izzy Davis grabbed four rebounds.

Athens, now 7-4, returns to action Saturday at Towanda.

LUSING — It just didn’t seem like it was going to be Athens’ night in Wyalusing.

The Wildcats missed three practices this week, their bus was late getting them there, and much of the game was looking like deja vu from a year ago when the Rams upset them to send the NTL title to Towanda.

And it ended up a lot like last year’s game as Wyalusing won 31-28 in NTL Division-I girls’ basketball action Thursday.

Both teams were sloppy, and struggled with shots they normally see go in the hoop. Athens’ also turned the ball over 16 times as Wyalusing focused on stopping Kayleigh Miller and Caydence Macik.

“A lot of things hurt us tonight,” said Athens coach Brian Miller. “We looked lethargic at times after three days off … the bus got us here late and refs wouldn’t give us additional time to warm up — that’s unacceptable in my book. It’s about the players, not the refs.”

For much of the game, Wyalusing was content to milk the clock when they had the ball, making each possession count that much more, and making each turnover or missed basket hurt much worse.

“We made some bad passes and missed some basketball we normally make,” said Miller. “The nature of play favored Wyalusing. When we shoot four foul shots on the night, and they only commit two fouls in the first half …”

Macik and Miller both finished with 12 points. Miller added four boards, two steals and three assists, and Macik chipped in with five boards.

Miller shot the ball well, as she was 3 of 4 on 2-pointers and 2-for-4 from deep, but Wyalusing’s Hailey Jayne stuck to her most of the night, making it difficult to get her shot off.

And whenever Macik got the ball in the post, the Rams doubled her, forcing her into six turnovers.

Karlee Bartlow and Megan Collins had two points apiece. Collins also grabbed four rebounds, while Hannah Blackman had eight boards and two steals, and Rachel Stephens nabbed eight rebounds.

Madison Putnam had 11 points to lead Wyalusing, and Callie Bennett finished with eight. Catherine Brown scored six, Layla Botts netted four, and Jayne finished with two points.

The two teams opened the game by trading buckets. A Miller 3-ball gave Athens a 5-2 lead, an advantage they held until the 4:18 mark of the first quarter when Putnam scored on a driving lay-up. She missed the and-1, but it put Wyalusing 6-5.

A Brown bucket two minutes later saw the Rams lead increase to 8-5. A Collins jumper cut it to 8-7 but Wyalusing went on a 4-0 run in the last minute as Botts hit a lay-up, followed by Putnam draining two free throws with 1.9 seconds left in the quarter, extending Wyalusing’s lead to 12-7.

That lead evaporated quickly, as a Miller 3-ball and Bartlow jumper tied things up at 12-12 less than three minutes into the second quarter.

The Rams answered with back-to-back lay-ups from Putnam and Bennett, giving them a 16-12 lead.

Miller followed with a jumper, but a Putnam 3-point play — this time she hit the free throw after making the lay-up — saw the Rams keep Athens at arm’s length, taking a 19-14 lead.

Then, in the final three minutes, Athens went on a 5-0 run. Miller found Macik for a lay-up, then Macik got her own lay-up and foul combination to make it 19-all at the half.

Only six points total were scored in the third as the defenses settled in. Wyalusing continued to keep Macik and Miller from having clean looks, while on the other end, the Rams were patient, but struggled to penetrate Athens’ defense.

A Brown jumper at the 6:30 mark put the Rams up 21-19, but a Macik jumper with 4:35 left tied things back up again.

Then, with under a minute to go, Jayne hit a long jump shot to once again break the tie, giving the Rams a 23-21 lead going into the final stanza.

After a scoreless first two minutes, Miller tied things up with a runner for Athens. That was followed by Macik going 1 of 2 from the free throw line, giving the Wildcats their first lead since early in the first quarter.

It was short-lived as Bennett came alive for the Rams, scoring back-to-back lay-ups, the second with 1:30 left in the game, to put Wyalusing up 27-24.

On Athens’ ensuing possession, Macik hit a lay-up and was fouled, but missed the freebie, allowing the Rams to stay up 27-26.

The two teams traded turnovers as game went under a minute before Brown was fouled on a lay-up attempt. She hit both free throws to make it 29-26.

The two teams traded turnovers again before Miller hit another runner to cut it to 29-28 with 22 seconds left on the clock.

Taking the ball out on the side after an Athens foul, Jayne hit a streaking Bennett, who got behind the defense, for a lay-up, plus a foul. Bennett missed the free throw, giving Athens hope of a tying 3-pointer with 17.4 seconds to play.

On Athens’ final possession they tried to get Miller an open shot, but the Rams hounded her, at one point triple-teaming her. She finally got a shot off, but it was blocked. The Rams recovered the ball and watched time tick off the clock.

Miller was incensed at the officiating on their final possession.

“Three fouls on our last possession and nothing was called,” he said.

The loss drops Athens (7-1) behind Towanda (7-0) in the NTL Division-I standings with the two teams slated to meet in the first of two contests on Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. sta

ATHENS — It was quite a day for Kayleigh Miller. In a two-hour span, the Athens senior signed her National Letter-of-Intent to play at Penn College, then scored her 1,000th career point in the Lady Wildcats’ 56-13 win over Cowanesque Valley here Friday.

Miller, who scored 13 points in the win, is currently second all-time in school history in 3-pointers made. Appropriately enough, a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter pit her over the 1,000-point plateau, and that fact wasn’t lost on her coach-father Brian Miller.

“The 3-pointer has been her forte since she was a little freshman, out there playing for coach (Kelly) Burkhart and making 3s, supporting Emily Lunger and Kara Chapman. She would always step up and hit the big 3 to help the team.

“Four years later, she’s become a complete player,” said Miller. “Her forte is being a shooter, and knocking down 3-pointers; it was nice for her to get her 1,000th point with a 3-pointer.”

Kayleigh Miller became the seventh girls in school history to eclipse 1,000 points, following in the footsteps of Jennifer Nichols (1,528 points), Maryellen Onofre (1.512), Emily Lunger (1,270), Taylor Clark (1,256), Michelle Shaffer (1,143), and Kelly McCarty (1,022).

Brian Miller was pleased with the Lady Wildcats’ team play.

“I thought we shared the ball very well,” he said. “(CV) played man-to-man defense, and we ran our sets.

“They were playing physical, and we found some nice offensive flow, and had some nice passes, especially to Caydence (Macik) finishing around the basket,” added Miller.

Of course, defense was once again the cornerstone in the win as Athens allowed just one field goal in the first half.

“I thought we played great defensively,” said Miller. “We contested every shot … we didn’t give them many good looks at all.

“I thought we played 32 good minutes of defense. That’s what we were focusing on … we wanted to look good to get ready for Tuesday night’s game,” added Miller in reference to his Lady Wildcats’ showdown with unbeaten Towanda.

Miller scored five points in the opening stanza, and junior Caydence Macik and senior Megan Collins added four points apiece as Athens raced out to a 15-2 lead.

Macik pumped in 11 points in the second quarter, and sophomore Karlee Bartlow added four points to fuel a 19-0 blitz that pushed the Lady Wildcat advantage to 34-2 at the half.

Macik, who was 9 of 11 from the field, led Athens with 24 points and one blocked shot, while Bartlow added seven points, two assists, and one blocked shot, and Collins chipped in with six points and three assists.

Miller also had five assists, two steals, and a blocked shot in the win, while seniors Rachel Stephens and Hannah Blackman each had three rebounds and two assists.

Renee Abbott led CV with six points.

Athens, now 9-1, travels to face Towanda (7-0) Tuesday.

ATHENS — The Athens defense shut down Cowanesque Valley, and Karlee Bartlow provided more than enough offense in a 28-5 win here Friday night in NTL junior varsity girls basketball action.

Bartlow scored four points in the first quarter to help the junior Wildcats to an 8-0 lead. She pumped in 10 points in the second quarter, including a 3-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play, to fuel a 10-3 run that pushed the lead to 18-3 at the half.

Bartlow scored five more points in the third quarter as Athens extended its lead to 25-5 entering the final eight minutes.

Bartlow had 19 points and three steals to lead Athens, while Abby Champion added four points and four rebounds, Mya Thompson had five rebounds, three steals, and one blocked shot, and Emma Bronson registered three steals and two assists.

Athens, now 6-4, returns to action Tuesday at Towanda.

ATHENS — Athens senior Kayleigh Miller had plenty of options on where to play her four years of college basketball, but Pennsylvania College of Technology “felt like the right fit.”

Miller, with friends and family watching, signed her National Letter-of-Intent to attend Penn College Friday afternoon in a brief ceremony at the Athens Area High School.

Also in Miller’s top three were Susquehanna University and Welles College, but Penn College ultimately won out.

“I visited a lot of colleges that were interested in me, but Penn Tech just felt right,” said Kayleigh Miller. “I just loved coach Brittany (Mohney) and coach Travis (Heap).

“I was there a little before Thanksgiving, and I was able to watch a practice. The players all seemed connected, and were there for each other,” she noted.

“They all loved the coaches, and I thought I could be a good fit there, too,” added Miller. “It really felt like a family.”

Miller said the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the recruiting process.

“It was difficult. Normally, I would have been able to go for an overnight visit, watch a game, and stay with the team, but their season was canceled, so I wasn’t able to see experience that.

“And, I really couldn’t get a feel for campus life. I walked around the campus, but there weren’t very many students there,” she said. “Yeah, I think Covid had an impact on the process, but Penn Tech still felt right.”

Another factor for Miller was Penn College’s proximity. Being located in Williamsport, it’s less than 90 minutes from the Valley.

“Being closer to home had a huge impact on my decision,” said Miller. “I want my friends and family to be able to come and watch me play at Penn Tech.”

Miller said she could see some playing time as a freshman for the Lady Wildcats.

“They didn’t guarantee anything, but said as long as I work hard and have a good attitude that anybody can get on the floor.”

Kayleigh Miller, a four-year starter for the Athens Lady Wildcats, played the final three years of her varsity career for her father — Brian Miller.

Coach Miller fought back some emotions during the ceremony.

“It’s bittersweet,” he said. “Seeing her grow up with the game … coming in as a fourth-grader, going to the Pink ‘Cats, the Waverly Basketball camps, then playing junior high, and AAUs, and playing for coach (Kelly) Burkhart, and then for me, and soon on to college.

“And seeing how hard she worked,” noted Brian Miller. “Nothing was given to her … she really had to work to be a good basketball player. She’s not the type of athlete that it comes naturally to … she’s worked at it, and watched and learned from other girls.

“She’s come a long way from a little twerp in fourth grade.

“I’m proud of her as a Dad, and as a coach, it’s the same thing,” he continued. “You see a player come in, and they want to live their dream and play college basketball at any level, that’s great.

“It takes a special person to make the type of commitment you need to play in college,” added Brian Miller.

Coach Miller believes Kayleigh will be successful at the next level.

“She’s a great shooter, and she really shares the ball well,” he said. “She’s a systems-type girl, so hopefully, Penn College has a system.

“She’ll fit in there, shooting the jump shot, sharing the ball with her teammates, and working hard every day in practice — you’re only as good as how hard you work in practice,” noted Miller. “Kayleigh loves the game of basketball, and she loves to come to practice, and work hard every day in practice.

“(Penn Tech) is getting a player that wants to make her self better, and the team better,” he added. “She’s going to be an asset to the program.”

Coach Miller admits she still has work to do to be ready for next level.

“She probably needs to work on her speed and quickness,” he said. “When you get to the next level, everybody is fast, quick, and stronger. This summer, she’s going to hit the weight room and try to make herself bigger, stronger, and faster.

“And, she’ll need to fine-tune all her skills — ball-handling, driving to the basket, increasing her range as a jump shooter,” he added.

Kayleigh Miller also knows she has things to work on.

“I definitely need to work on driving to the basket, and drawing contact so I can get to the foul line,” she said. “Also, I’ll keep working on my outside shot because they need outside shooters. I need to make sure I can knock down the 3-point shot when I’m open.”

Kayleigh Miller said she’s like to stay involved in sports in the future.

“Right now, I’m planning on majoring in Marketing, with video editing skills for digital marketing,” she said. “I’d really like to work with sports, and edit highlight reels.”

ATHENS — Athens used a 35-3 blitz over the middle two quarters to forge a 62-16 rout of North Penn-Liberty here Wednesday night in NTL girls basketball action.

Senior Kayleigh Miller got off to a hot start, canning four 3-pointers in the first half en route to 16 points before the intermission.

“We moved the ball around great tonight setting up each other for a good offensive night,” said Athens coach Brian Miller. “And, Kayleigh shot the ball great tonight from the perimeter.”

Miller scored eight points in the first quarter to help the Lady Wildcats to an 11-8 lead.

She added two more 3-pointers, and eight more points in the second quarter, and senior Megan Collins buried a 3-pointer and scored five points to fuel a 19-1 Athens outburst that upped the lead to 30-9 at the halftime break.

Junior Caydence Macik took over in the third quarter, scoring eight points in a 16-2 run that pushed the Lady Wildcat lead to 46-11 entering the final eight minutes.

Sophomore Karlee Bartlow scored five points in the fourth quarter, and senior Rachel Stephens added four points in a 16-5 game-ending run for the Lady Wildcats.

Miller led Athens with 23 points, including five 3-pointers, five assists, and four rebounds. She made 9 of 17 shots from the field, including 5 of 9 from behind the 3-point arc.

Macik had 13 points, four rebounds, four steals, and four blocked shots in the win, while Collins added eight points, including a pair of treys on just two shots from behind the arc, three steals, and three assists, and Stephens added four points and four rebounds.

Sophomore Natalee Watson chipped in with four points and three rebounds, while freshman Mya Thompson and senior Hannah Blackman collected four and three rebounds, respectively.

Kiersten Mistifer and Jaclyn Nelson led NP-L with five points apiece.

Athens, now 8-1, hosts Cowanesque Valley Friday.

ATHENS — Athens jumped out to an early lead, and pulled away for a 43-19 win over North Penn-Liberty here Wednesday night in NTL junior varsity girls basketball action.

Emma Bronson knocked down a 3-pointer and scored five points in the first quarter, and Karlee Bartlow added four points to help Athens to an 11-4 lead after the first eight minutes.

Bartlow scored four more points in a defensive-minded second quarter that saw the junior Lady Wildcats outscore NP-L, 6-3, to up their advantage to 17-7 at the half.

Bartlow scored six points and Mya Thompson added four points in a 14-6 run that stretched the Athens lead to 31-13 entering the final eight minutes.

Bartlow led Athens with 14 points and four rebounds, while Thompson had eight points, 16 rebounds, six steals, three blocked shots, and two assists, and Bronson added seven points, six steals, and two blocked shots

Aislynn Thomas chipped in with four points in the win, while Izzy Davis grabbed four rebounds, and Amber Galvin had two assists.

Darby Stetter and Mackenzie Broughton led NP-L with four points apiece.

Athens, now 5-4, hosts Cowanesque Valley Friday.

ATHENS — Athens let a 14-point third-quarter slip away, and twice needed points in the final seconds to force extra play on its way to a double-overtime, 60-58, win over Sullivan County here Monday night in non-league girls basketball action.

“We had our backs against the wall at the end of the first quarter, and we had our backs against the wall at the end of the first overtime, and we made plays on offense and defense to tie the game,” said Athens coach Brian Miller.

“Then, we made plays early in the second overtime to get the lead, and we were able to hold on to the lead,” he noted.

“It showed some guts and determination,” added Miller. “It’s good to play a game like that … to have to execute down the stretch to win those close games.”

The Wildcats also beat Northeast Bradford in double-overtime to open the season.

“And, we’re undefeated in double-overtime games, so that’s good,” laughed Miller.

Athens built a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter, but foul trouble took its toll.

“We turned the ball over a lot in the full-court, and in the half,” said Miller. “They were pressuring our guards all over the place, so we couldn’t enter the ball into the post, or run our offense, and we had some silly turnovers.

“The most disappointing part was we built the lead to 14 points in the third quarter, then we had a couple girls get in foul trouble,” he noted. “We made some really silly mistakes, and the next thing you know it’s a ball game in the fourth quarter.

“We had some really uncharacteristic turnovers in the half-court set, and in the full-court,” added Miller.

Sullivan County closed the third quarter with a 9-0 run to trim the deficit to 40-33 entering the final eight minutes.

The Lady Griffins eventually took the lead, and were up two in the closing seconds when junior Caydence Macik — who scored 18 of Athens’ 21 second-half points, including all eight in the fourth quarter, rebounded an Athens missed and scored on the putback with 2 seconds remaining to tie the game at 48-48 and send the game into overtime.

Sullivan County took the lead early in the extra session with four straight points, but Athens tied the game on a pair of free throws by senior Kayleigh Miller with 15 seconds remaining.

The Lady Wildcat defense then held Sullivan County without a shot in the closing seconds.

In the second overtime period, Macik drained a pair of free throws to give Athens a 58-56, then added a bucket with 40 seconds remaining to up the lead to 60-56.

“This is a good win for us,” said Miller. “The girls played hard, and overcame some adversity. This will help us in the long run.”

Miller, who was limited to just four free throws after the intermission in part due to foul trouble, knocked down a 3-pointer and scored seven points in the opening stanza to help the Lady Wildcats to a 9-7 lead.

Macik scored eight points in the second quarter, while Miller added five, including her second 3-pointer, and senior Megan Collins buried a trey in the Lady ‘Cats’ 18-13 run that pushed the lead to 27-20 at the break.

Macik scored 10 points, and Collins was 3-for-3 from the line after being fouled on a shot from behind the arc as Athens stretched its lead to 40-26 with 2 1/2 remaining in the third quarter.

Macik, who made 15 of 22 shots from the field, led Athens with a career-high 34 points, to go along with 11 rebounds, four assists,  two steals, and one blocked shot, while Miller had 16 points, eight rebounds, and five assists,

Collins had six points and four boards in the win, while sophomore Karlee Bartlow chipped in with four points, five assists, and two steals, and senior Hannah Blackman grabbed four rebounds.

Sophia Springman led Sullivan County with 22 points, and Bethany Beinlich and Kassidy Beinlich added 12 points apiece.

Athens was 11 of 13 from the free-throw line in the contest, while Sullivan County was 13 of 29.

Athens, now 7-1, hosts North Penn-Liberty Wednesday.

ATHENS — Sullivan County used an 18-6 fourth-quarter run to blow open a close game on its way to a 41-26 win over Athens here Monday night in non-league junior varsity girls basketball action.

Sullivan County led 8-4 after the first eight minutes, then extended the lead to five points, at 15-10, at the half.

The junior Wildcats trimmed the deficit to three points, at 23-20, entering the final eight minutes. Natalee Watson led the way in the third quarter with four points.

Mya Thompson and Watson led Athens with six points apiece, and Karlee Bartlow and Abby Champion added four points each.

Watson and Braelynn Wood led Athens with three rebounds apiece, while Emma Bronson had four assists and two steals, Bartlow had two steals and two assists, and Thompson registered three blocked shots and two steals.

Stella Harney led Sullivan County with 19 points, including 11 in the second half.

SATURDAY
Athens 31, Troy 21
At Troy, Athens raced out to a 16-point lead en route to a 31-21 win over Troy Saturday at the Troy Commons Building.

Karlee Bartlow scored seven points, and Braelynn Wood added four markers to power Athens in an 11-0 first-quarter run.

Bartlow added four more points in the second quarter to fuel a 10-5 spurt that gave the junior Wildcats a 21-5 lead at the halftime intermission.

Bartlow scored 16 points to lead Athens, while Emma Bronson had six points, four rebounds, two assists, and two blocked shots, Wood added six points, and Mya Thompson contributed five rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocked shots.

Athens, now 3-4, hosts North Penn-Liberty Wednesday.

TROY — Athens overcame some first-half shooting woes to post a 51-22 win over Troy here Saturday afternoon in NTL Large School Division girls basketball action at the Troy Commons Building.

“We struggled early making open jump shots,” said Athens coach Brian Miller. “But, we got our legs under us and made some nice shots and executed much better in the second half.

“And, shooting 19-21 from the foul line was outstanding,” added Miller.

Senior Kayleigh Miller scored four points in the first quarter, and senior Megan Collins added a 3-pointer to help Athens to a 9-4 lead after the first eight minutes.

Miller canned a 3-pointer and scored five points in the second quarter as Athens added two points to its advantage, taking an 18-11 lead into the halftime locker room.

Junior Caydence Macik took over in the second half.

Macik scored eight points in the third quarter, and Miller added four points to account for all the Lady Wildcats’ points in a 12-5 run that pushed their lead to 30-16.

Macik added nine more points, including a 5-for-5 effort from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, and Miller added six points in a 21-6 blitz that blew the game open.

“Emma Bronson had a good second half,” said Miller. “She played the passing lanes, and was finding girls in transition.”

The Lady Wildcats made 13 of 14 free-throw attempts in the fourth quarter, and 19 of 21 in the contest. Miller was 8 of 9 from the line, and Macik made 7 of 8, while sophomore Emma Bronson and sophomore Braelynn Wood were both 2-for-2.

Macik led Athens with 21 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, and two blocked shots, while Miller had 19 points, six rebounds, and four assists, and Collins added five points, a team-high six assists, and four boards.

Sophomore Karlee Bartlow grabbed seven rebounds in the win, while Bronson had four steals, and three rebounds, and sophomore Natalie Watson chipped in with four boards.

Sydney Taylor led Troy with 11 points and Hannah Zimmerman was 7-for-8 from the free-throw line for seven points.

Athens, now 6-1, returns to action Monday when it hosts Sullivan County — the first of three home games next week for the Lady Wildcats.

TIOGA JUNCTION — Athens exploded for 47 first-half points, and cruised to a 62-23 win over Williamson here Thursday night in NTL girls basketball action.

“Caydence (Macik) and Kayleigh (Miller) shot the ball great tonight,” said Athens coach Brian Miller. “We had over 20 assists as a team, so that shows we executed our offense and shared the ball with each other.”

The Lady Wildcats shot 57 percent (26 of 46) from the field, with Macik making 10 of her 13 shots, and Miller knocking down 8 of her 13 shots, including 3 of 6 from behind the three-point arc.

Miller canned a pair of 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the first quarter, and Macik added six points to fuel a 23-6 first-quarter run.

Macik scored eight points, and Miller added seven points in the Lady Wildcats’ 24-8 blitz that pushed the lead to 47-14.

Macik had 21 points, six rebounds, six blocked shots, and two steals, and Miller had 21 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals to lead the Lady Wildcats.

Sophomore Karlee Bartlow had eight points, three assists, and two steals in the win, while Natalee Watson scored six points, senior Megan Collins doled out a team-high six assists, sophomore Emma Bronson dished out five assists, and freshman Mya Thompson grabbed three rebounds, and blocked one shot.

Lateisha Peterson led Williamson with 11 points, and Taylor Rae Jones added 10 points.

Athens, now 5-1, returns to action Saturday at Troy in a noon start.

MANSFIELD — The Athens defense held North Penn-Mansfield scoreless for nine minutes to start the game, and built a 16-point halftime lead en route to a 52-25 win here Tuesday night in NTL Large School girls basketball action.

The first quarter was a defensive struggle with NP-Mansfield playing a defense designed to stop Athens senior Kayleigh Miller.

“Mansfield came out and played box-and-one on Kayleigh most of  the game,” said Athens coach Brian Miller. “We adjusted from the second quarter on to get some good offensive looks.”

Senior Megan Collins buried a 3-pointer and junior Caydence Macik added a bucket to give the Lady Wildcats a 5-0 lead after the first eight minutes.

Macik scored five points, including an old-fashioned three-point play, and Collins knocked down another 3-pointer in the second quarter to fuel a 16-5 blitz that put Athens up 21-5 at the break.

In the third quarter, senior Kayleigh Miller buried a pair of 3-pointers, and Macik added four points as Athens added one point to its lead, taking a 34-17 advantage into the fourth quarter.

Macik scored eight points in the final eight minutes and Miller added four as Athens put the game away with an 18-8 run.

Macik led Athens with 20 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and one blocked shot, while Miller had 12 points, six steals, and five rebounds, and Collins added eight points and four assists.

Natalie Watson chipped in with four points and four rebounds in the win, while Mya Thompson had four rebounds and three steals, and Karlee Bartlow dished out four assists.

“Freshman Mya Thompson played a good game floor game tonight,” said Miller.

Elizabeth Kohl led NP-M with six points.

Athens, now 4-1, returns to action Thursday at Williamson.

MANSFIELD — North Penn-Mansfield held a slim lead after the first eight minutes, but pulled away thanks in large part to a 14-5 third-quarter run for a 38-23 win over Athens here Tuesday night in NTL junior varsity girls basketball action.

The junior Tigers led 9-8 after the first quarter, and 17-12 at the half, before stretching their advantage to 31-17 heading into the final eight minutes.

Mya Thompson led Athens with seven points, five rebounds, and three steals, while Karlee Bartlow had five points, two assists, and two steals, and Natalee Watson had five points and seven rebounds.

Abby Champion added three rebounds and two blocked shots for the junior Lady Wildcats, while Braelynn Wood grabbed four rebounds, and Izzy Davis had three boards.

Athens, now 2-3, returns to action Thursday at Williamson.

WELLSBORO — Athens overcame ice-cold shooting, thanks to a stingy defense, and rallied for a 28-22 win over Wellsboro here Saturday afternoon in NTL Large School girls basketball action.

“We played a very good defensive game today,” said Athens coach Brian Miller. “Our offense struggled to make shots, but our defense kept us in the game, and we did make some keys shots down the stretch.

“It wasn't pretty, but a win is a win,” added Miller.

The Lady Wildcats, now 3-1, shot just 21 percent (9 of 42) from the field in the win, including an 18-percent (2 of 11) performance from behind the three-point arc.

Athens led 7-6 after the first eight minutes, but were outscored, 9-3, in the second quarter, and Wellsboro went to the halftime locker room with a 15-10 lead.

Senior Kayleigh Miller, who had five points in the stanza, and senior Megan Collins each knocked down a 3-pointer, and sophomore Karlee Bartlow converted an old-fashioned three-point play to fuel an 11-6 spurt that tied the game at 21-21 entering the final eight minutes.

The Lady Wildcats turned up the defensive intensity in the fourth quarter and allowed the Lady Green Hornets just one free throw. Meanwhile, senior Rachel Stephens and junior Cayden Macik scored buckets to put Athens up 25-22.

Macik made 3 of 4 free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

Macik led Athens with eight points and four boards, while Barlow had eight points and five rebounds, Miller had five points, four rebounds, four assists, and two assists, Collins had five points, three rebounds, and two blocked shots, and Natalie Watson chipped in with three rebounds.

Emma Coolidge led Wellsboro with seven points.

Athens, now 3-1, returns to action Tuesday at North Penn-Mansfield.