Lady Hornets inch closer to NTL Large School title

By: Ed Weaver  /  February 2, 2018  /  Photo: Tim Birney

The Wellsboro Varsity Girls Basketball team took one more step on their way to becoming NTL Large School Division champions with a 48-39 win over Athens on Thursday, February 1.

Wellsboro's win keeps them undefeated in the NTL Large School Division standings at 14-0 while Athens drops back to 12-2. Both teams have two league games remaining.

In the last meeting with Athens the Lady Hornets won a lopsided 61-29 game. Thursday's game saw a short-handed Wellsboro team, which was down two starters, pull out a 9-point win.

Wellsboro took a first quarter lead as they battled with Athens' Kara Chapman and Emily Lunger, who combined for all of the Lady Wildcats' 12 points. The Lady Hornets then held Athens to just two field goals in the second quarter to lead 25-17 at the half. Athens outscored Wellsboro 11-10 in the third to make a slight cut in the Lady Hornets' lead, then held Wellsboro to just two field goals in the fourth quarter, but the Lady Hornets 9-for-14 at the foul line to hang on for the win.

Senior Tory Self scored a game-high 21 points, her fourth straight 20-plus point game, to lead Wellsboro on the night. Senior Lizzie Poirier scored 10, sophomore Cathryn Brought finished with 6, sophomore Liza Manning had 5, senior Mikel Shabloski added 4, and junior Dani Hunt pitched in with 2.

Brought grabbed 8 rebounds, Manning finished with 6 rebounds, Self had 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, and Poirier grabbed 4 rebounds. Shabloski also added 3 rebounds and 3 steals.

Lunger led Athens with a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Athens won the JV game 34-18 to drop the Lady Hornets to 3-15.

The win improves the Varsity team's record to 18-1. The team will be back in action on Tuesday, February 6 on the road in Williamson.