NTL BOYS' BASKETBALL: TROY USES HOT START TO TOP NEB (2024-12-18)
BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports ReportROME — It might have been a late start for Troy boys’ basketball but it was like they never stopped playing in their 74-49 win over NEB during NTL action Tuesday.
The Trojans shot lights out in the first half, and played with high energy for a full 32 minutes - despite the score.
“I was happy with how hard we played,” said Troy coach Bob Woodward. “Throughout, especially in the second half, the kids were making multiple effort plays, and that was the goal from the game. We have to, no matter the circumstances that we’ve been through, we have to go play as hard as we can every night all season.”
Going to the state football title game pushed the basketball team’s season back, and the varsity came in with just six practices under their belt, less practices than NEB has had games up to this point.
But they played with typical Troy defensive energy, forcing 19 turnovers and getting 14 steals in the contest.
Evan Woodward led the way with 22 points - including four 3-balls - to go with three assists, and four steals.
Jack Burbage added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the double-double, while handing out four assists.
Lincoln Chimics finished with a double-double, as well, with 10 points and 13 rebounds to go with three steals, while Joseph Frye added 10 points, and six assists.
They also got contributions from younger players in Trey Teribury (eight points, four rebounds) and freshman Spencer Martin (five points, six assists, three steals).
“Spencer was composed tonight, he started the game off hitting the three, and, over any offense from the younger guys, I think they’re playing really hard in practice, and they’re just trying to win each day, one day at a time,” Woodward said.
Even though it may not look it on the scoreboard NEB coach Paul Burgert felt his team came to play, unlike in their loss to Elk Lake the previous night.
“I said to Jeff Carr, right at the end one of one of the last possessions, their starters are in, our starters are in, and both teams are playing really hard - you would have though it was a four point game,” he said. “So I’m incredibly proud of my guys. Today was 100-percent better. Last night we just didn’t show up, and they learned a valuable lesson, that, at the varsity level, there are no bad teams. If you don’t come ready to play last night can happen to them, and so they came ready to play tonight, and they battled. There were some times in this game where it looked like Troy was going to just go on that run, and you’re down 35, and we always just kept battling back.”
Cooper Brown had 22 points and five boards to lead NEB with Tanner Herb netting nine.
Tyler Thoman scored six, Dayton Russell netted five to go with nine rebounds, Mac Burgert had three, with Eli Stanton, and Clay Wilks getting two points apiece. Stanton also had six boards.
The Panthers missed a few first half lay-ups, or else that halftime deficit for 46-28 might have been single digits.
Troy, though, didn’t miss much in the first half, particularly the first quarter, where they shot 9-for-13 from the floor to take a 25-12 lead.
They hit five 3-pointers - two from Woodward, two from Frye, and one out of Martin - as Woodward led the team with eight points for the 13-point lead at the first horn.
Brown paced the Panthers with five points in the opening frame.
Troy cooled off slightly in the second quarter, scoring just 21 points, off eight from Burbage, and seven out of Woodward.
Thoman led NEB with six, while Brown had two buckets for four as Troy led by 18 at the half.
The Panthers played Troy even in the third as the game slowed down. However, every time it looked like they might go on a run, Troy had an answer.
NEB started the frame win a 4-2 spurt thanks to back to back buckets out of Brown, but Burbage came back with a 3-ball.
Brown hit a 3-pointer off a Stanton assist, but Troy got a Burbage lay-up, and a Woodward 3-pointer, to extend their lead to 21 points.
After trading buckets Herb had a put back to make it 58-39 in favor of Troy.
In the fourth NEB opened with back to back baskets from Brown and Herb to cut it to a 15-point deficit.
However, Chimics followed with a driving lay-up, then Burbage had a put back to extend the lead back to 19.
Herb would hit a 3-pointer, but Burbage answered with an old-fashion 3-point play.
After that Troy out scored them 9-3 the rest of the way for the 25 point win.
NEB JV’s won 56-48 as Nate Gross had 19 points, while Landon Knolles and Clay Wilks had 13 points each.
Pray Teribury and Evan Allen had 13 points apiece, with Joey Lackey netting 12.
After three games in four days NEB (5-3) will finally have a practice as they prepare for an important divisional contest at NP-Liberty.
Troy (1-0) will have their home opener on Thursday against Wyalusing, before welcoming undefeated NP-Mansfield on Saturday night.
“The biggest day we have is tomorrow,” Woodward said. “We’ve got to get better from the things that we see on film tonight, and that’s the next step. We have to take it one day at a time, we call it stacking days.”
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
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