NTL BOYS' BASKETBALL: TROY FALLS TO ATHENS (2022-01-25)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
ATHENS — Foul trouble and turnovers plagued Troy in their 61-57 loss to Athens, their first to an NTL team this season, during boys’ basketball action Monday.

Ty Barrett finished with 29 points - 18 in the first half - but the Trojans only got five points outside their big three of Barrett, Ethan VanNoy (15 points), and Mason Imbt (eight points). Zeb Oldroyd had three points, and Justice Chimics netted two to round out their scorers.

Athens saw four different players hit double figures - JJ Babcock and Nathan Carling with 14 points each, Mason Lister scored 12, and Troy Pritchard netted 11. Tucker Brown added six, as Chris Mitchell, and Ryan Thompson both had two points.

It was feast or famine for the Trojans offensively - at one point in the second quarter they scored nine points in just over a minute - but they didn’t record a field goal in the final four minutes of the fourth quarter.

Defensively, they held Athens to 2-of-9 shooting from deep, but the Wildcats were able to get a lot of their points in the paint - they went 22-of-50 on 2-pointers. Lance Heasley, though, came off the bench for the Trojans to provided some defensive energy, getting a few blocks as he defended the 6-foot, 6-inch Babcock.

Fouls also hurt the Trojans, as, at one point in the second quarter, Barrett, VanNoy, and Imbt were all on the bench at the same time with two fouls.

Athens came out firing, jumping out to a 14-5 the first five minutes, as Carling had seven points to lead the way for the Wildcats.

After that, though, Troy - specifically Barrett - got hot. He assisted on an And-1 to VanNoy, then had seven more points to tie things up at 15-all with 1:11 left to play. 

A Brown lay-up in the final minute gave Athens a 17-15 advantage at the first horn.

The Trojans came out and took their first lead in the first two minutes of the second quarter, going on a 5-2 run, as Barrett had a free throw and a lay-up, while VanNoy added a runner.

Pritchard would get a put back to put Athens back up 21-20, but over the next minute-and-a-half Troy got cookin’. VanNoy and Barrett combined to lead Troy on a 9-0 run to put them up 29-21, with a Barrett 3-ball the exclamation point.

Athens ended the streak as Lister found Babcock on a full court pass for a lay-up to make it 29-23.

That’s when things got defensive - Heasley and Babcock would block each other from behind on back to back possessions - but a turning point came when Barrett got his second foul with 2:32 left in the half.

He would be forced to sit, and watch as the Wildcats got to the free throw line to whittle away the lead, going 4-for-6 on three straight trips to the charity stripe to cut it to 29-28.

VanNoy came to the rescue for Troy, getting another old fashion 3-point play with 1:02 on the clock to push Troy’s lead to 32-27.

However, in the final minute the Wildcats went on a 4-0 run as Babcock hit two free throws, then found a cutting Brown for a lay-up, to make it a 1-point halftime game.

The Wildcats opened the third quarter with back to back lay-ups to retake the lead 35-32. A Barrett lay-up made it 35-34, but a Babcock jumper saw the Wildcats push it back to a 3-point lead with 5:48 on the clock.

It went back and forth like that until the 4:13 mark when VanNoy found Oldroyd for a 3-pointer to tie it up at 39-39.

Lister responded on the next possession with a lay-up, but that’s when Troy went on another run, beginning with Barrett getting a lay-up. Heasley then found Imbt on a nifty interior pass for a bucket, followed by VanNoy hitting Imbt for a basket to push the Troy lead to 45-41 with 2:33 left in the third.

Carling ended the run with a lay-up, cutting it to 45-43, but both teams struggled to score after that. Foul trouble then reared its ugly head again for the Trojans, as Barrett and Imbt were called for their third fouls with just over a minute to play.

Athens took advantage, as Thompson hit a lay-up with 45 seconds left to tie things up. VanNoy then found Chimics for a bucket with 20 seconds to go, putting the Trojans back up, 47-45.

However, the Wildcats had the final say, as Brown found Carling in the corner for a 3-ball in the final seconds of the frame to give Athens a 48-47 lead.

A Lister lay-up to start the fourth put the Wildcats up by three points, but VanNoy answered with a 3-ball to make it 50-50. An Imbt lay-up at the 6:25 mark saw Troy go up 52-50, but Athens came back with a 4-0 run off baskets by Pritchard and Lister.

Barrett would tie things up again with a lay-up at the 4:24 mark, but it was Troy’s last field goal of the game.

It stayed tied for over two minutes as both teams struggled with turnovers, but a Pritchard lay-up at the 2:12 mark gave the Wildcats a 56-54 lead.

After another Trojan turnover Babcock found Pritchard for a bucket to make it 58-54 with 1:38 left to play. Barrett would then get to the free throw line for Troy, making 1-of-2, to cut it to 58-55 with 1:31 on the clock.

Troy would get a steal on Athens’ next possession, and an open look at three, but it was off. Barrett grabbed the offensive board, and was fouled, making both free throws with 26 seconds left to play to cut it to a 1-point game.

The Trojans put the press on, but Athens went back to an old play, as Lister hit Babcock for another full court lay-up, making it 60-57 with 18 seconds on the clock.

Troy’s last shot to tie it was off. Athens secured the rebound, with Brown going to the line, making 1-of-2, to seal the win.

The setback means it’s a horse race again for the NTL Division-I crown. Troy and Wellsboro have just one loss each, while Athens and NP-Mansfield both have two.

The Trojans are back on the court Tuesday as they host Sayre, then have two non-league contests at home to finish the week - Waverly on Thursday, and Williamsport Saturday evening.

PHOTO CAPTION: Troy’s Ethan VanNoy takes a 3-pointer against Athens…PHOTOS BY DAVID ALLIGER