NTL GIRLS' BASKETBALL: MAISIE NEUBER LEADS NEB PAST WYALUSING (2021-01-16)

Northern Tier Sports Report
WYALUSING — The Northeast Bradford girls’ won their third straight game, Saturday, as they defeated Wyalusing 58-44 in NTL basketball action.

The Panthers used a strong first quarter to take a 10-point lead and never let the Rams back into it. Wyalusing cut into it in the second half but couldn’t make that hard surge to get the deficit to single digits.

Maisie Neuber led NEB with 23 points, 14 rebounds and four steals as Lauryn Jones added 14 points, six boards and four assists.

Julie Brown had six points to go with 11 rebounds as Kate O’Connor also had six points with 10 boards.

Kayleigh Thoman chipped in with four points and two steals while Emma Neuber had three points. Lani Thomas rounded out the scoring with two points.

Catherine Brown led Wyalusing with 18 points and five boards while Hailey Jayne added 13 points. Layla Botts had eight points to go with two steals as Callie Bennett chipped in with five points and four blocks.

Olivia Leichliter had a strong game defensively with three blocks.

Both teams came out and scored right off the bat to make it 2-2 but NEB followed with a 14-0 run. Maisie Neuber led the way with seven of the points while Jones hit a 3-pointer to punctuate it.

After a six minute drought the Rams got back to back buckets from Botts to cut it to 16-6 at the quarter break.

NEB came out in the second quarter and scored the first 12 points, beginning with a Jones 3-pointer. After Julie Brown went 1-for-2 at the line the Panthers had three straight buckets to extend the lead to 26-6. Maisie Neuber added a diving lay-up at the 3:10 mark for the 22 point lead.

The Rams finally broke through with three minutes left to play in the half as Catherine Brown had three straight buckets in a minute to cut it to 28-12. The Panthers answered that 6-0 run with a 6-0 run of their own to push it back to 34-12.

However, Wyalusing ended the half strong as Catherine Brown got her fourth field goal of the quarter followed by Jayne netting a lay-up late for the 34-16 halftime score.

Maisie Neuber continued her strong play in the third quarter with back to back buckets. The two teams then traded baskets as NEB kept the lead at 22 points, 40-18, with six minutes left in the third.

That’s when the Rams went on a mini-run, beginning with a Jayne lay-up. Wyalusing then scored four more points - two freebies sandwiched around another Jayne bucket - to cut it to 42-24 with three minutes to play in the third.

A Julie Brown jumper at the 2:15 mark ended that run but Jayne answered with a 3-ball. The tit for tat continued as Maisie Neuber had a field goal, followed by two freebies from Catherine Brown. Thomas then had her only basket of the game, followed by Emma Neuber going 1-for-2 from the line. Catherine Brown went 1-for-2 from the line to end the third stanza, as the Rams still found themselves down 49-30.

Wyalusing opened the fourth quarter strong as Botts hit a lay-up. NEB held them scoreless until the 5:43 mark when Botts went 1-for-2 from the free throw line to cut it to 49-33. Catherine Brown chipped in with two more free throws later to make it a 14 point game halfway through the quarter.

An O’Connor put back ended that run but that was followed by Jayne’s second 3-pointer, cutting it to 13 points, 51-38.

However, a Jones bucket followed by a Maisie Neuber free throw pushed it back to 54-38 with 2:30 left to play.

Bennett hit her only 3-pointer of the game to make it a 13 point deficit again. Julie Brown came back with a free throw, but Catherine Brown answered with a lay-up, cutting it to 55-43, but there just wasn’t enough time left.

NEB went 3-for-4 down the stretch as they ran out the clock for a 58-44 win.

The Panthers were strong on the boards, out rebounding Wyalusing 47-15, as early in the game the Rams’ jumpers weren’t falling.

They were able to get inside more, and get to the free throw line, but didn’t have an answer for Maisie Neuber’s play inside the arc.

The Panthers return to action Monday, as they host Towanda in a match-up between the two defending league champions. Wyalusing travels to Wellsboro on Tuesday.