NTL JV BOYS BASKETBALL: ATHENS TOPS NEB, FALLS TO LOYALSOCK (2019-01-13)

Valley Sports Report
ATHENS - After a big win at Northeast Bradford Friday night, Athens was thumped by Loyalsock Saturday afternoon in junior varsity boys basketball action.

SATURDAY
Loyalsock 69, Athens 43
At Athens, Loyalsock used a 21-5 second-quarter blitz to take control of the game on its way to a 69-43 win over Athens Saturday afternoon.

Loyalsock led 8-5 after the first eight minutes, then blew the game open in the second quarter and led 29-10 at the half.

Athens' offense picked up steam in the second half, but Loyalsock was able to increase it lead.

Griffen Stein and Aidan Westbrook each scored four points, and Tucker Brown knocked down a 3-pointer, but Loyalsock outscored Athens 23-17 to take a 52-37 lead into the final eight minutes.

J.J. Babcock canned a pair of 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, while Troy Pritchard scored four points, and Josiah Talladay added a 3-pointer, but again Loyalsock had the advantage in the scoring column for the quarter, 17-16.

Pritchard led Athens with 10 points, while Babcock scored eight points, Westbrook added seven points, Stein chipped in with six points, and James Benninger-Jones had five points.

FRIDAY
Athens 59, NEB 35
At LeRaysville, Athens got off to a fast start and led by 17 points en route to a 59-35 win over Northeast Bradford Friday evening.

Aidan Westbrook pumped in 11 points and J.J. Babcock added nine, including a 3-pointer, to fuel a game-opening 24-7 blitz.

Troy Pritchard scored nine points in the second quarter, but NEB outscored the Wildcats 19-17 to close the gap to 39-24 at the half.

Pritchard scored seven points in the third quarter, and Babcock drained a 3-pointer to help Athens push its lead back to 17 points, at 51-34, entering the final eight minutes.

Jonathan Smith and Josiah Talladay each drained 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for the junior Wildcats.

Pritchard led three Athens scorers in double-figures with 20, while Westbrook scored 13 points, Babcock added 12 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and Griffen Stein chipped in with six points.

Athens returns to action Wednesday at Wellsboro.