NTL BOYS' BASKETBALL: WYALUSING FALLS TO ELK LAKE IN HOME OPENER (December 4, 2025)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
WYALUSING — Wyalusing battled a tough Elk Lake squad to 65-47 loss in non-league boys’ basketball action Thursday. Despite the setback Rams’ coach Brent Keyes saw some good things from his young squad.

“I actually thought we got good shots most of the night, and, I think as a coach, that’s what you’re evaluating,” he said. “Now you’ve got to make those shots, but I told our guys, I thought we took good shots.”

The Warriors came in with size, athleticism, and started the game off hot from deep with four 3-pointers in the opening frame.

“I think Elk Lake is one of the toughest teams on our schedule,” Keyes said. “They’re incredibly well coached, incredibly disciplined defensively, and it’s early season, but they play really hard, and it was tough for us to sustain when we weren’t making shots, but ultimately our effort and energy tonight was pretty good.”

When they did make shots it was usually off an assist as the Rams assisted on their first seven makes, and had 12 assists on their 18 field goals in all.

It was a stark contrast in their loss at Susquehanna on Wednesday.

“One thing we talked about last night, the ball was sticking a little bit too much, and not for selfish reasons,” remarked Keyes. “It was just a lack of court awareness, and the ball started moving a little bit better. We had a couple really nice easy buckets off assists, and we took good shots. We’re going to have to make shots to beat teams that are tough like Elk Lake.”

Eight different Rams scored, led by Myles Kershner and Tyler Caplan netting 12 points each. Kershner also had three assists.

Aidan Neiley added six points, as Noah Kilmer and Parker Cunningham both had five. Bradyn Johnson netted three, as Mason Culver and Jared VandeMark had two points apiece.

Shay Gartland chipped in with five assists.

Elk Lake’s Chase Pond netted 22 to lead all scorers with Brayden Miller (11) and Kendal Jones (10) also getting into double figures.

John Heitman notched nine, Connor Stephens had eight, Jaydan Hitchcock finished with three, and Brayden Birtch rounded out things with two points.

The Rams got the first points of the game when Neiley found Kershner for a lay-up, while the Warriors went up 3-2 off three freebies from Stepens.

Gartland then found Neiley and Caplan for buckets to make it 6-3 Wyalusing, only for Elk Lake’s Heitsman to hit a 3-ball to tie things up.

Pond hit the first of his four 3-pointers to make it 9-6 Warriors, but a Kershner 3-pointer off a Gartland assist locked them back up.

The two teams traded buckets for an 11-11 score, then Jones and Pond hit back to back 3-pointers to make it 17-11 Elk Lake.

Caplan ended the quarter going 1-for-2 from the line for a 17-12 score at the first horn.

The Warriors went on a 5-0 run to start the second quarter as they built a 10-point lead.

The Rams rallied with a jumper from Caplan, followed by another Kershner 3-ball to make it a 5-point game.

The two teams traded buckets to 26-21, but the Warriors got hot late, scoring six straight points for the 11-point lead at the half.

Pond hit a 3-ball to open the third quarter to make it 35-21 Elk Lake. 

Caplan would hit three free throws sandwiched around a Stephens bucket as the Rams tried to stay in touch.

Baskets from Jones and Heitsman pushed the Warrior advantage to 41-24. 

The Rams had one more push in them, out scoring them 6-5 to cut it back to a 14-point game, but an 8-0 spurt to end the third quarter gave the Warriors a 24-point lead going into the fourth. 

The lead got as big as 28 before an 8-0 run by Wyalusing to end the game made it an 18-point final.

This game comes a day after Wyalusing lost 73-45 to Susquehanna in their season opener.

They found themselves down 18-6 after one and 37-13 at the half. They cut into the lead into the third as they out scored the Sabres 21-17, but couldn’t get any closer.

Caplan had 21 points to lead the Wyalusing effort as Gartland netted 11. Kilmer notched six, VandeMark had four, and Kershner netted three.

Wyalusing (0-2) will host Canton next Thursday.

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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