NTL BOYS' BASKETBALL: NEB USES BIG SECOND QUARTER TO DOWN CANTON (2024-01-26)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
CANTON — Weather has played havoc with the sports schedule these past couple of weeks and it showed on the court during NEB’s 46-33 win over Canton during NTL boys’ basketball action Thursday.

The two teams combined for just five points halfway through the first quarter and both squads shot below 35-percent from the field, though the Panthers did hit six threes, which was key for their 13-point win.

“Not only have we not played in a week we’ve hardly practiced, either,” said NEB coach Paul Burgert. “That’s this time of the year with weather, it makes it a challenge. Tomorrow we’ll hopefully get a full practice in and work on playing a full 32 minutes.”

The game was tight after one, with the Panthers holding a 9-7 lead, but NEB used a 10-run early in the second quarter to propel themselves to a 27-15 lead at the half.

A big quarter from Cayden McPherson, who had seven points in the third, helped them extend that lead to 39-23 going into the final frame, but in the fourth Canton rallied early, cutting it to a 12-point game with over five minute to play.

The Warriors would score just five points from that point on, though, as NEB pulled out the key divisional win.

“It’s always a struggle,” Canton coach Jim Williams said about the offensive side of the ball for the Warriors. “I was just talking to the boys that were past the age of taking a road trip to go watch and scout a game, when you get to the second half of the season everybody knows what you do, and I was explaining to them how important it is to have counters in the second half of the season - that’s something we need to work on, we need to make sure we have a good plan going in because you can’t just plan for the beginning of the season and go the whole way through anymore.”

McPherson had 10 points on 3-for-7 shooting to go with six boards for NEB, while Cooper Brown added 10 points and six rebounds.

Drew Beers had eight points, while Josh Stanton finished with seven points, three assists, and two steals. Dillon Donnelly scored six points, and Eli Stanton finished with five points and four assists.

Despite not getting a high assist total Burgert felt Josh Stanton did a good job running their half court offense, even if they couldn’t knock down the shots consistently.

“Josh is really doing a great job for us,” he said. 

Ben Fitch led Canton with 17 points, going 7-for-11 from the charity stripe. He added nine rebounds, and four steals.

Brayden Vroman added six points and four boards, while Talin Williams had four points and seven rebounds.

Gunnar Resavage netted four points, Rylan Wesneski scored two, and Andrew Smith chipped in with one. 

It was a pair of Fitch free throws that gave Canton a 2-0 lead to start the game, while NEB went ahead on a Beers 3-ball, making it 3-2.

McPherson hit a lay-up to put the Panthers up 5-2, but a Fitch 3-ball knotted the game up. Eli Stanton found Brown for a bucket, but at the other end Fitch hit Vroman for a jumper.

NEB would take a late lead on a pair of Josh Stanton freebies, going up 9-7.

Resavage cut it to 9-8 with a free throw on Canton’s first possession of the second quarter, but NEB answered by scoring on six straight possessions as they built a 19-8 lead.

Brown hit a 3-ball and a jumper on back to back plays, followed by Eli Stanton getting a 3-pointer. Brown and McPherson then went 1-of-2 from the free throw line for the 11-point lead.

Fitch ended that run with a runner, but Josh Stanton came right back with a jumper.

The two teams continue to trade buckets until it was 23-14, which is when NEB went on a 4-0 run thanks to baskets from Josh Stanton and Beers, pushing their lead to 27-14.

Fitch would hit a free throw late in the quarter to cut the deficit to 12 points going into the locker rooms.

McPherson opened the second half scoring with a 3-ball off a Beers assist, then, after a Fitch free throw, Donnelly hit a deep ball on a McPherson helper to put the Panthers up 33-16.

Williams came back with a driving lay-up for Canton, but a McPherson jumper kept it a 17-point game.

Fitch would get NEB into the bonus with just under two minutes left in the frame, hitting both freebies. After a Brown jumper Resavage hit a 3-pointer to make it 37-23.

McPherson, though, had the final say, getting to the free throw line with one second to play, and swishing both for the 16 point lead going into the fourth.

A Beers free throw made the Panther edge 17-points early in the fourth but that’s when Canton rallied.

Smith went 1-for-2 from the line, followed by a Vroman driving lay-up, then a quick trigger jumper to make it 40-28 with 5:11 left to play.

After calling a timeout NEB came out and saw Eli Stanton hit a jumper, then watched Donnelly back another 3-pointer to extend their lead back to 45-28 with 4:15 left t play.

Fitch would go on a 3-0 run with a lay-up, and a trip to the foul line, cutting it to 45-31 with two minutes to play.

NEB, though, wouldn’t let them score until the final seconds. Josh Stanton went 1-for-2 from the line to get the Panthers to 46 points, while Wesneski hit a lay-up in the dying moments of the game for the 46-33 final.

Canton (6-11) is hanging onto the eighth seed in the District IV, Class AA playoffs by their fingernails with five games left - three of them at home.

“We’re to the point now where we’re going to need an upset, here, to get us to districts,” Williams said. “We definitely need to get something going on. We’ll keep working, we’ll be in the gym (Friday), and Saturday morning.”

NEB (12-2) is hanging onto the NTL Division-II lead by their fingernails, as well, with a 2-game lead in the loss column over CV. They’re also right behind Northwest in the D4, Class AA standings as the two battle for the one seed.

But, with eight games left to play, the Panthers know all outcomes are on the table, beginning with a home contest against Towanda on Saturday evening.

“We just talked about that in the locker room, there are no easy games on our schedule,” said Burgert. “They’re all going to be a fight like today ended up being, and I’m going to rely on our seniors, who need to be hungry.”

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PHOTO CAPTION: NEB’s Josh Stanton makes a pass out of traffic against Canton…PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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