NTL GIRLS' BASKETBALL: BOTTS LEAD WYALUSING PAST CANTON (January 5, 2026)

Northern Tier Sports Report
CANTON — Wyalusing used a late first quarter run to get a lead on Canton, then fought off the Warrior rally from there as they picked up a 43-32 win during NTL girls’ hoops action Monday.

“Honestly, we’ve had a pretty tough early season schedule, and now we’re getting to some of the league games, and I think that really prepared us for games like this,” said Wyalusing’s Alysha Botts. “Canton’s a tough team, so I think our early season schedule has prepared us to get this one.”

It was nip-and-tuck early until a late push by Wyalusing gave them an 18-6 lead after one. Canton clamped down on them in the second to cut the lead to 23-19 at the half.

A 13-6 third quarter by Wyalusing put them up by double digits again, then they held Canton to seven in the final frame to get the win.

Botts led the Rams with 18 points, including 12 in the second half.

“I was just trying to help our team win,” she said. “I think that you just have to do whatever you have to do to help your team get the win. That’s the most important, and that’s what I had to do tonight to help. Everyone has their roles on the team, and sometimes everyone has to step up, and do different things.”

Liz Kilmer had the stroke from deep early, hitting three 3-balls in the first half for nine points, as Treanna Nickeson netted seven. Emily Johns scored five, with Jenna Morningstar adding four.

“Initially, them playing a very tough pre-Christmas schedule showed against us, and I think it caught us a little off guard,” explained Canton coach Ryan Van Noy. “Their intensity, and their speed I think got to us early, and I think that’s why we struggled so much in the first quarter. I think once we settled down, and played with them, we shortened the gap big time there in the second half. I honestly think defensively, we played well enough to win the basketball game - to hold them to 43 points - but offensively we just missed too many shots that we can’t miss during the game.”

Cailyn Van Noy had nine points, six boards, five assists, and four steals to lead Canton, with Lydia Roupp, Alexis McRoberts, and Stella Rockwell adding six points each.

McRoberts also had seven boards, and six steals, Roupp nabbed four boards, and two steals, with Rockwell also getting four rebounds.

Cheyenne Fitched added three points, with Brenna Van Noy, and Daveian Crowley scoring one point apiece. Crowley also had 10 boards, as Brenna grabbed two steals.

Botts, and Kilmer had six points each to lead Wyalusing’s first quarter attack as they took the 12-point lead at the first horn.

Five different Canton players found the bottom of the net in the second quarter during their rally, with McRoberts scoring four points, and Rockwell hitting a 3-ball.

“Coach knew that Canton was a very capable team, and that they were able to come back,” Botts said about their halftime talk. “He told us that we have to grit it out. We have to play hard defense, and we have to take care of the ball.”

The pendulum swung back to Wyalusing in the third, and doing the swinging was Botts, who had nine of her team’s 13 points to help them take a 36-25 lead into the final frame.

Cailyn Van Noy netted a game high five points in the fourth, but Wyalusing carried the win home behind three points from Botts in the frame.

Wyalusing (3-4) will host Wellsboro on Wednesday, while Canton (7-2) has a big match-up with NEB.

— — 

PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

Print Friendly Version