NTL BOYS' BASKETBALL: MILLER NETS CAREER HIGH 36 BUT NEB COMES UP SHORT AT SAYRE (2023-02-01)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
SAYRE — NEB’s Brayden Miller had the game of his life. He finished with 36 points and nine boards, scored Northeast’s first 11 points of the game, and nearly willed them to victory by scoring their last eight down the stretch. Unfortunately, the rest of the Panthers had their worst offensive game of the season, as they fell to Sayre 56-49 during NTL Division-II boys’ basketball action Tuesday.

“We needed every one of those 36 points,” NEB coach Paul Burgert said. “He was unbelievable because we couldn’t get anybody else going.”

Miller was 15-for-22 from the field, including 2-for-4 from deep. Most of his points came on turn around jumpers in the paint, jump hooks, and put backs, while occasionally stepping out for jumpers. He also chipped in with nine boards.

“He’s a heck of a player,” Burgert said. “As a sophomore he’s worked his way into the starting the line-up, and he’s really starting to blossom.”

The rest of the team struggled to get going, though, with just four field goals between his teammates. Everybody else outside of Miller shot 1-for-14 from deep, and 3-for-22 from 2-point range. 

They shot decent from the free throw line - 8-for-13 - but missed their final four freebies in the final three minutes that could have brought them back.

Andrew Beers came off the bench for seven points, three assists, and two steals, along with some tough defense on Sayre’s scoring ace, Jackson Hubbard.

Joe Stanton added three points, eight boards, three assists, and two steals, while Josh Stanton had two points, three assists, and three steals. 

Cayden McPherson chipped in with one point and seven boards, as Dillon Donnelly had three assists.

“Other than Brayden no one looked comfortable today,” Burgert said. “When they did throw one up I think they were just literally throwing it up.”

Overall he was happy with how his team played. After giving up 26 offensive rebounds to Sayre the last time they played, they held the Redskins to four, and won the turnover battle.

“Our effort tonight was outstanding,” remarked Burgert. “Our guys played their rear ends off…we did everything right tonight except just could not get going offensively.”

They limited Hubbard for a half, though he eventually finished with 35 points, scoring 25 of them in the second half.

“Hubbard’s tough to guard, he’s going to score,” said Burgert. “We don’t have a match-up for him, you know, with his height and size, but we made him work, I thought.”

Nick Pellicano had a big first half for Sayre, scoring all 13 of his points in the first two quarters, while Zach Garrity and Hudson Trump had three points each. Karter Green chipped with two.

Green scored the game’s opening bucket to put Sayre up 2-0 but Miller nailed a 3-ball off a Donnelly assist to make it 3-2 Panthers.

Back to back threes from Hubbard saw Sayre take an 8-3 lead halfway through the first quarter. Coming out of a timeout Miller bagged a jumper for NEB, but Pellicano came back with a 3-pointer to put Sayre up 11-5. 

Miller hit a turn around jumper to cut it to 11-7, but Pellicano nailed the Redskins’ fourth 3-ball of the quarter to make it 14-7.

Miller answered with a put back, but Hubbard had the final say, going 1-of-2 from the line late for a 15-9 first quarter lead.

Miller hit a jumper to start the second, making it a 4-point game. That sparked a 6-0 Panther rally as Joe Stanton had an old fashion 3-point play, followed by McPherson hitting a free throw to knot it up at 15-all.

Pellicano ended the Sayre drought with a lay-up, but NEB took the lead off a Miller 3-ball from a Beers pass. 

Their lead didn’t last long as Hubbard tied it up on a free throw, then Hubbard found Pellicano on a full court pass for a lay-up to put Sayre back up 20-18.

The Redskin run continued as Hubbard hit a jumper, followed by Pellicano nailing a pull-up 3-ball with five seconds to go, ending an 8-0 run for Sayre that put them up 25-18 at the break.

Miller opened the third with a lay-up, plus the foul, to cut it to 25-21, but Hubbard nailed a 3-ball to make it a 7-point lead again.

Miller would get another bucket, but a 6-0 Hubbard run saw Sayre go up 33-23 halfway through the quarter.

Josh Stanton would bag a jumper to make it 33-25, but a Hubbard 3-ball, followed by a Garrity free throw gave Sayre their biggest lead yet, 37-25, with 3:08 left in the quarter.

NEB, though, didn’t quit, finishing the final three minutes on a 9-0 run, which began with a Miller lay-up.

He then got a turnaround jumper plus the foul to cut it to 37-30. Beers would take over, hitting two free throws on their next possession, then scoring a put back at the buzzer to cut it to 37-34.

In the fourth Sayre got some pick-n-roll action going, as Hubbard found a diving Trump for a lay-up to put them up 39-34.

Miller came back with a jumper at the other end, but Hubbard answered with a driving lay-up.

The back and forth continued, with Miller getting a put back, only for Hubbard to hit a jumper, to keep the five point lead.

Miller found Beers for a 3-ball, which cut it to 43-41 with 6:15 left, while a Trump free throw on the other end extended their lead to 3-points.

Miller would cut it to one with a bucket on NEB’s next possession, but Hubbard had an answer, hitting a deep 3-ball with Beers in his face to put Sayre euphorias 47-43.

The Panthers wouldn’t back down as Miller went on a 4-0 run to tie the game up at 47-all with 3:30 left to play.

Hubbard would get a runner to go at the 3:15 mark, while at the other end Josh Stanton missed a pair of free throws.

Sayre would get a turnover, but NEB couldn’t capitalize. With 2:14 left to play Pellicano had a chance to extend the Sayre lead, putting NEB in the bonus, but missed the front end of a 1-and-1.

The Panthers’ offensive woes continued as they missed two shots in their next possession. 

For Sayre that’s when Garrity missed a corner three, but got his own rebound, then was fouled. He made both freebies to push Sayre’s lead to 51-47 with 1:30 left to play.

Miller, though, couldn’t be stopped, nailing a jump hook at the other end to, once again, make it a 2-point game with 1:20 on the clock.

The Panthers forced a turnover, with Miller getting fouled off a miss at the other end. He missed both freebies, though, with 35 seconds left.

At the other end Hubbard got a lane to the basket. NEB tried fouling him, but the senior was able to make the lay-up through the contact, and hit the free throw, essentially giving Sayre the win as they now led 54-49 with 27 seconds left.

NEB turned it over after that, with Hubbard securing the win on a breakaway lay-up.

The Panthers drop to 4-6 in the NTL and 7-8 on the season. They still have a shot at the NTL Division-II title with Williamson, NPL, and CV left, while also having cross-over games with Athens, Wellsboro, and Towanda, but right now Burgert just wants to get his team going again.

A good place to start will be Thursday when they host Williamson for senior night.

“Our focus, I guess, is going to be to try to get our confidence back offensively,” he said. “We struggled the other night against Canton, offensively. Some of our guys right now are in a funk.”

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PHOTO CAPTION: NEB’s Brayden Miller goes up for a shot…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING