NTL GIRLS' BASKETBALL: NEB FALLS SHORT ON THE ROAD AT ATHENS (2025-01-23)
BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports ReportATHENS — NEB’s offense never got comfortable, and even a dramatic fourth quarter comeback couldn’t save them in their 48-45 loss to Athens during NTL girls’ hoops action Thursday.
The Panthers were plagued by foul trouble, and saw leading scorer Leah Beebe leave the game with an injury.
Still, down 10 early in the fourth they rallied on the back of Lillie Maynard, who scored 11 in the fourth - nine in a row at one point - to bring the Panthers into a tie at 41-all with 2:35 left to play.
The two teams went tit-for-tat, but an Addy Wheeler assist to Sara Bronson with 35 seconds left put them up 47-45. NEB would get to the line twice after that, going 0-for-4, and Athens did the rest to pick up the win.
“They did well getting back,” NEB coach Ben Beebe said about Athens’ defense. “Our general offense comes from our defensive pressure, and this was probably one of the worst shooting nights we’ve had, and that happens as a team. You’re bound to have an off night here or there, so it was ours.”
Lillie Maynard had a double-double of 19 points and 15 boards to lead NEB, along with four steals. Mallorie Maynard notched 15 points, six boards, and two steals, while Becca VandeMark had six points.
Leah Beebe netted three points before leaving the game with an injury, while also getting three steals assists, and two steals.
Kara Dughi had two points, with Lilah Hughes adding three steals, and three blocks.
Due to injury and fouls Dughi and Aurelia Kolesar were pressed into crunch time service during the fourth. While they did miss some key free throws in the final minute, they also made plays that put NEB in position to win the game - Dughi had a put back with 2:05 left to play that tied the game, while Kolesar had a tie-up that led to an NEB possession, and a pair tying free throws from Lillie Maynard with 1:16 left in the game.
“I just explained to them in the locker room about the pressure I put on them,” Beebe said. “I should get them in the game a little more. It’s tough with only 10 girls all together, but I should have them in the game so they’re a little more fluent. They played absolutely amazing. They had tough pressure situations at the end, and it is what it is. They’re young ladies, and hopefully that’s a learning experience.”
Addy Wheeler led the team with 15 points - 13 of them in the second half - as she also went 7-for-8 from the free throw line.
McKenna Jarvis added 14 points before fouling out late in the game, while Bronson, and Allison Kemp had seven points apiece.
Alissa Vough netted four, as Kelsie Noel added one.
The teams went back and forth early in the game as Kemp hit a 3-ball off a Wheeler assist to put Athens up 3-0.
Mallorie Maynard came back with a lay-up, then hit a 3-ball to put NEB up 5-3.
Athens would score three straight points for a 6-5 lead, but the Panthers rallied with six straight points, capped off with a Beebe 3-ball for an 11-6 lead.
Wheeler cut it to 11-8 off a Bronson assist, but a Lillie Maynard runner, followed by a Mallorie Maynard lay-up put the Panthers up 15-8 at the first horn.
Another Mallorie Maynard bucket made it 17-8 to start the second, but Athens got back to back buckets from Vough to make it 17-12.
After the two teams traded free throws Mallorie Maynard stayed hot, hitting a jumper for the Panthers to make it 21-14.
Wheeler then found Jarvis for a bucket to keep it a 5-point difference. Three balls by Lillie Maynard and Bronson made it a 24-19 game at the half.
Coming out of the break Athens scored six straight to go up 25-24 as Jarvis and Kemp both had field goals, followed by Wheeler making a pair of free throws.
A Mallorie Maynard freebie tied the game up at 25-all. Athens would go back on top as Jarvis hit a lay-up off a Wheeler assist, but a VandeMark 3-ball made that lead short lived as she put NEB up 28-27.
Athens, though, would go on a 10-1 run to end the third, with Jarvis and Wheeler getting four points each during that span, to take the eight point lead into the final frame.
A Jarvis put back to open the fourth made it 39-29 Wildcats, but NEB’s Lillie Maynard would score the next nine points to make it a 39-38 game with 3:25 left to play.
A Wheeler runner put the Wildcats up 41-38 with 3:05 on the clock, but a Mallorie Maynard 3-ball tied the game up at 41-a with 2:35 left to play.
Wheeler would hit a jumper, but Dughi came back with a lay-up. Jarvis put Athens back up with 1:40 on the clock behind a driving lay-up, but at the other end Lillie Maynard hit a pair of free throws to make it 45-all with 1:16 left.
The two teams would trade misses, but with 35 seconds left Wheeler found Bronson behind the NEB defense for the 47-45 lead.
NEB had chances to tie with 21.6 seconds, and 8.7 seconds to play, but went 0-for-4 from the line. Wheeler made it a 3-point game as she went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe with seven seconds left.
VanDeMark got off a 3-ball before the ball, but it bounced off the rim.
The loss snaps NEB’s (11-3) seven game win streak but they’ll to start a new one when they host Towanda next Tuesday.
“Towanda is another one that will be a good test, that’s what we like, just like Athens,” Beebe said. “It didn’t work out for us tonight, but Towanda will be a good one, and then we move on.”
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
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