NTL GIRLS' BASKETBALL: TROY PULLS AWAY FROM TOWANDA (January 8, 2026)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
TOWANDA — Troy coach Steve Renzi felt he has a different team after the Josh Palmer Tournament than the one he had before, and so far they’ve proved him right. After beating Waverly on the road last Saturday they used a strong defensive effort to down Towanda, 46-18, in a clash of NTL Large School titans in girls’ hoops action Wednesday.

“I think Elmira helped us a lot playing that level of competition,” Renzi said. “The girls are learning. They’re still young - you’ve got a freshman, sophomore, sophomore, junior, junior with one player with really quality varsity experience. They’re still learning what the physicality of a varsity game is.”

They didn’t seem to have a problem with the physicality of Wednesday’s game as they forced 23 steals, and had 15 offensive rebounds to make-up for a slow shooting night.

“I think these are two really tough teams, and I think one team came wanting to win, doing whatever it took to win, and the other team showed up hoping that it could win,” said Towanda coach Rob Gentile. “Things didn’t go our way early, we couldn’t make shots, they made shots, they made the plays. I’m a little disappointed in our let down mentally in the second half, and a really good team teams advantage of your. They smell blood, and they put it to us pretty good. It’s something we’ve just got to learn from and move on.”

It was an ice cold start to the game with Troy nursing a 3-0 lead after the first quarter. 

The Trojans got the first point on a free throw at the 3:23 mark of the opening frame, then got the game’s first field goal with 1:55 to play.

Towanda didn’t get on the scoreboard until the 3:45 mark of the second quarter, and by then they were down 14-3.

“That’s what we work on every day in practice,” Renzi said about his team’s defense. “I wish we shot the ball a little bit better, but the girls just game 110-percent all the time. They communicate with each other. We’ve got to do a better job boxing out, but we’re working on that every day in practice. 

During that first quarter stretch Gentile playfully asked Renzi if they should put the clock to two minutes in the fourth quarter and who scores first wins.

“I think both teams came out with a lot of energy,” said Gentile. “They were both amped up. We were getting the turnovers that we wanted, but to their credit, they’re getting the loose balls. They’re just physically tough, and mentally tough, and those kids fight. I told my kids that if there’s any group that can only play five or six kids, and withstand what we throw at teams for four quarters, and it’s Troy.”

Troy’s Kyah Renzo flirted with a triple-double, getting 10 points on 5-for-11 shooting to go with nine boards, and nine steals.

“We’ve been preparing for the past week on how we’re going to come in here, and dominate,” she said. 

Izzy Renzi added 10 points, six boards, and six steals, as Raelynne Woodward finished with eight points, and nine rebounds.

Giana Renzi had seven points, eight assists, and four steals, with Haidyn Watson getting seven points, eight boards, and two steals.

Emma Mickley chipped in with four points, and five rebounds.

Payton Perry hit three 3-balls for nine points to lead Towanda, while Brynn Woodruff added three points, 10 boards, and two blocks.

Karis Flynn had three points, as well, with Mya Maynard getting two points, and five boards.

Reese Sullivan finished with one point, as Mary-Kate Eberlin grabbed three steals.

Towanda’s famously tight rims seemed particularly rigid on Wednesday as any shot that made it up there bounced around and out, like nightmarish game of Plinko.

Towanda had two good looks early that didn’t go down, and those proved to be their best looks of the game, while Troy had a few fast break lay-ups that ricocheted out.

An Izzy Renzi free throw finally broke the 0-0 tie, then a Renzo lay-up put them up by a field goal at the first horn.

The Trojans would get their offense rolling in the second quarter, opening the frame on a 9-0 run. 

Renzo sparked things with a steal and lay-up, followed by a Mickley bucket off a Woodward assist.

An Izzy Renzi 3-ball made it 10-0 Troy. That was followed by buckets from Izzy Renzi, and Woodward for the 14-0 lead.

“We definitely told ourselves to run it through, and trust our teammates,” Renzo said about their second quarter spurt. “We just hyped each other up, and take any open shot we could.”

A Perry 3-ball that was nothing but net finally got Towanda on the scoreboard, but a 5-0 Troy run followed to make it a 19-3 contest.

A Maynard lay-up, followed by a Sullivan free throw cut it to 19-6 at the half.

Woodward opened the third with a bucket off a Giana Renzi assist for the 15 point lead.

Flynn would answer with a 3-ball, but the Trojans struck back with a Giana Renzi 3-pointer. That was followed by a Renzo steal and lay-up for a 26-9 lead.

Woodruff got a bucket off a Sullivan assist, but it was all Troy down the stretch of the quarter. 

Renzo got a steal, and lay-up, followed by an Izzy Renzi 3-ball, and then a Renzo bucket for a 35-11 lead going into the fourth.

“They’ve played a lot of basketball since March when I took over, and they know it’s going to come, that they’re going to start making shots,” explained coach Renzi. “They’re sharing the ball well the last two games.”

They finished with 14 assists on 25 made shots.

Woodruff hit a free throw to open the fourth to make it 35-12, but Troy put the game on the brink of a mercy rule with two buckets from Watson, and 3-pointer out of Izzy Renzi.

A Perry 3-ball made it 42-15, but back to back baskets from Woodward, and Giana Renzi push Troy past the 30-point margin.

“Most of the kids on that team are used to winning,” Gentile said about Troy. “They win and district titles in soccer, and in volleyball. They’re used to winning, and they’re willing to do what it takes. It’s been a while for us, and our kids are learning. You have to learn you’ve got to give that in a tough game like this, you’ve got to give that extra. I was really happy with our competitive level in the first half, we just couldn’t put the ball in the basket. To hold a good team to 19 points - I told them I thought this game would be a tight game in the 40’s - it should be enough to win basketball games, and it’s not when you can’t score the ball.”


“We definitely have a bulls-eye on our backs, but we’re just going to go to practice every day, and work even harder to come back stronger,” Renzo said.

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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