NTL GIRLS' BASKETBALL: NEB FALLS TO SOUTHERN COLUMBIA IN DISTRICT SEMIFINALS (February 21, 2026)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
WILLIAMSPORT — NEB girls hoops team had rough day on the court, unfortunately for them it came at the worst possible time. The Panthers never settled into the game as they didn’t shoot well while turning the ball over too much in their 48-33 loss to Southern Columbia in the District IV, Class AA Girls Basketball Tournament Saturday.

“It was a big crowd,” said NEB coach Ben Beebe. “The girls were excited, and they never did calm down.”

It was back and forth in the first half with the Tigers taking a 19-18 lead at the break. They went on to out score NEB 29-15 in the second half, including a 16-5 fourth quarter, to pull away.

Kara Dughi had 11 points and five boards to lead the Panthers, as Leah Beebe netted eight points to go with six steals, five boards, and four assists.

Katrina Russell had seven points and eight rebounds, with Mallorie Maynard getting five points, four boards, and two steals. Aurelia Kolesar chipped in with two points, four boards, three assists, and two steals.

Kailee Helwig led Southern with 19 points, 13 of them in the first half as she kept her team afloat. 

Macie Swank added 11 points, with Alana Reuter scoring eight. Olivia Jones netted six, as Rosie Martino, and Bella Snyder had two points apiece.

It was a defensive battle in the first quarter with a Russell put back putting NEB up 2-0 two minutes into the game.

Swank came back with a lay-up, then Helwig got a put back for a 4-2 Tiger lead.

A Beebe bucket made it 4-4 with five minutes left in the opening frame.

Nobody scored until nearly three minutes later when Helwig hit a runner, but Dughi followed that up with a jumper of her own for a 6-6 score.

Beebe found Russell for a lay-up with 30 seconds to go to give NEB an 8-6 lead, but Helwig had the final say with a bucket in the final 10 seconds for the tied game at the first horn.

After staring the game 0-for-7 from the free throw line Helwig hit a pair early in the second quarter for a 10-8 Southern lead.

NEB punched back as Maynard got a lay-up, then Russell hit a free throw for an 11-10 lead.

A Helwig 3-ball made it 13-11 Southern, but NEB took the lead right back on their ensuing possession on a Maynard 3-pointer for a 14-16 advantage.

Beebe then found Kolesar for a lay-up at the 2:45 mark for a 16-13 lead.

A pair of Reuter free throws end that Panther run, but a Russell jumper pushed the NEB lead back to three.

Southern would go on a 4-0 run in the final minute - including a Helwig runner just before the buzzer - to take a 1-point advantage into the locker rooms.

Jones would score a bucket out of the gates for Southern to push lead their lead to three points, but a Beebe 3-ball tied things up again at 21 with just under six minutes left in the third.

Over the next two minutes, though, Southern went on an 8-0 spurt to take a 29-21 lead. 

A Dughi lay-up cut it to 29-22, but a free throw from Helwig, followed by a Swank lay-up gave Southern a 9-point lead with two minutes left in the quarter.

NEB rallied in those final two minutes as Beebe hit a 3-ball, then Dughi scored a lay-up just before the buzzer for a 32-28 score.

Southern opened the fourth with a 5-0 run to push their lead back to nine points with just under six minutes left in the game.

Dughi hit a lay-up at the 4:30 mark for a 37-30 score, but a Swank lay-up followed by a pair of Martino free throws saw the Tigers extend their lead to 11 points.

A Dughi 3-ball with 2:25 left cut it to an 8-point game as the Panthers tried to rally, but it would their last points of the contest.

The Tigers finished things off with seven straight to get the win, and trip to the district title game.

NEB will face Northwest, 40-31 losers to Muncy in the other semifinal, at a place, time, and date to be named later with a state berth on the line.

“I just got done telling them I’m not done yet,” Beebe said. “You can be sad today about not getting to where you want to be, but come Monday we’re going to be ready to work.”

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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