NTL GIRLS' BASKETBALL: VETERAN WYALUSING LOOKS TO TAKE A JUMP THIS SEASON (2024-11-30)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
Wyalusing girls’ basketball returns after finishing last year on a pretty big high by making the PIAA Tournament. Things will be a little bit more difficult this year due to moving up a class to AAA.

“I think we built a good foundation from last year,” said coach Nick Reynolds. “It’s a pretty cool feeling come in, everybody’s a another year mature, and it just feels different in the gym this year because of the maturity.”

While last year’s squad went 12-14 they peaked at the right time, winning a first round district game, then beating NCC in the third place game to make states.

“It definitely gives us a lot of confidence going into the season, knowing we can get that far into the basketball season,” Chloe Bennett said. “I think we’re just going to build off that throughout the season, and try to push harder, and get farther than we did.”

And they return pretty much everybody from that team, including all five starters: Bennett, Alysha Botts, Treanna Nickeson, Rachel Wilson, and Emily Johns.

“I think we have a really good bond from last year,” Wilson said. “We’re just working with that sisterhood theme. We all have a really good bond outside the court, too. We do team bonding, and we spend a lot of time with each other.”

Bennett led the team at 11.9 PPG last year, while snagging 2.6 SPG, but everybody chipped in at the offensive end: Botts put up 7.7 PPG as a freshman, Wilson was a double-double threat at 6.2 PPG and 9.8 RPG, Nickeson scored 5.6 PPG, and Johns added 4.2 PPG, but came on later in the season.

“We asked a lot of the freshmen last year coming in,” Reynolds said about Botts and Johns. “They’re coming in one more year seasoned. A lot of the kids did a lot of things in the off season that we’re excited about. As long as everybody stays healthy we should have a very successful season.”

They see their versatility as a weapon this year: Bennett and Botts scoring from the outside, Nickeson driving the lane, with Wilson and Johns getting points in the post.

“With the experience from last year I think it’s going to help us play both sides,” Reynolds said. “We can score from outside, and also get it inside to the three bigs there.”

Off the bench they have guard Emily Fowler and forward Alissa Baldwin coming back, as well.

“We have a very good dynamic on this team that should set us up to be successful,” Reynolds remarked.

One area they want to improve upon is consistency on the offensive end. They shot just 30-percent from the field, though had big shooting moments during the season, with Bennett being the school record holder for 3-pointers in a game.

“We want to really make sure that we work on our plays, and be able to run them without our coach being there with us every step of the way,” explained Bennett. “Try to read the defenders to know what we need to do on our own throughout the plays.”

They also know they need to cut down on the turnovers, too.

“We’re working on conditioning, a lot of ball handling, and just finishing at the rim,” said Wilson. “Not just having the plays where we follow the dots, but switching with the rhythm, going with the game, and being able to change things up.”

The Rams would like to improve upon that win-loss record this year, while also picking up some tough non-league contests in Waverly, Shamokin, and Hughesville to start the season, as they prepare to compete in Class 3A this postseason.

“It’s a challenge for us, and we are all looking forward to it,” remarked Reynolds. “We kind of geared our schedule, and our off season games, towards that to be extremely competitive in the NTL, and hopefully in districts as well.”

They’re hoping that helps them prepare to take on defending league champions, Troy, along with other Large School stalwarts in Towanda, Athens, and Wellsboro.

“Sometimes it can be intimidating, but I know with these girls we can do it,” said Wilson. “We have very good potential with a lot of girls that know how to play the game.”

ROSTER

Rachel Wilson

Chloe Bennett

Treanna Nickeson

Emily Fowler

Alissa Baldwin

Alysha Botts

Emily Johns

Liz Kilmer

Callee Warner

Ellie Adams

Chloie Whipple

Camryn Gesford

Raelea Harvey

Taydin Gardner

Sierra Gromley

Katelyn Trowbridge

Mina Fowler

Abigail Taber

SCHEDULE

Nov. 30 vs Waverly, 6 p.m.

Dec. 10 vs Shamokin, 7 p.m.

Dec. 16 at Hughesville, 7 p.m.

Dec. 18 at NEB, 7 p.m.

Dec. 20 vs Sayre, 7 p.m

Dec. 27 at Tournament, 3 p.m.

Dec. 28 at Tournament

Jan. 3 vs Troy, 7 p.m.

Jan. 8 at Wellsboro, 7 p.m.

Jan. 10 at NPM, 7 p.m.

Jan. 15 vs Athens, 7 p.m.

Jan. 17 vs Towanda, 7 p.m.

Jan. 23 vs NPL, 7 p.m.

Jan. 25 at CV, 7 p.m.

Jan. 27 at Towanda, 7 p.m.

Jan. 30 at Troy, 7 p.m.

Feb. 4 vs Wellsboro, 7 p.m.

Feb. 6 vs NPM, 7 p.m.

Feb. 10 at Athens, 7 p.m.

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