NTL BOYS' BASKETBALL: TROY ROLLS PAST NEB AND INTO NTL SHOWCASE TITLE GAME (2025-02-14)

BY CHRIS MANNING
Northern Tier Sports Report
TROY — It was the type of win Troy’s coach Bob Woodward liked to see out of his team this late in the season. The Trojans pressed and passed their way past NEB, 90-56, during the opening round of the NTL Boys’ Basketball Showcase Tournament Thursday.

“It looked like we were making the extra passes, and finding the open guy,” Troy coach Bob Woodward said. “They didn’t care who scored the bucket.”

Troy finished with 31 assists on 38 made baskets, while they also had 18 steals defensively, turning defense into offense. The only blemish were a slew of missed lay-ups in the first quarter, but they still finished with 26 points in the frame en route to scoring 82 through the first three quarters.

“Any time of year that we’re sharing the basketball, and playing with energy, it’s a bonus,” Woodward said. “When the kids don’t care who gets credit for it, it makes it extra special when we do score baskets.”

Woodward pointed out his point guard, Joseph Frye, and the way he ran the offense on the night.

“A lot of nights, he might not have some points, but he was outstanding tonight making the extra pass, looking for kick-outs,” said Woodward. “It’s all the little things, the screens, the cutting, the things that we do, setting a teammate up to score.”

Frye finished with eight points, eight assists, and six steals, with Lincoln Chimics netting 22 to lead them in scoring. He also had four assists, and five steals, while Jack Burbage notched 18 points, seven boards, and four assists.

Trey Teribury finished with 16 points, and three assists, as Evan Woodward had 14 points seven assists, and four steals.

Cameron Morey had six points, and four boards, with Eason Teribury getting four points. Spencer Martin had two points, and three assists, with Sam Roy getting two blocks, and Joey Lackey picking off two steals.

It may not look it at first glance but NEB shot the ball well in the first half, hitting six 3-balls during the first two quarters, and even scoring 18 points in the second quarter to make it 51-30 at the half.

However, Troy turned it up in the third, out scoring the Panthers 29-9 to pull away.

NEB got four players in double figures, led by Cooper Brown’s 19. 

Tanner Herb scored 11, with Tyler Thoman, and Brennin Thoman getting 10 points each. Eli Stanton netted four, with Clay Wilkes adding two.

NEB had a pair of 2-point leads early, with a Stanton lay-up putting them up 2-0, and a Tyler Thoman bucket making it 4-2.

Troy would respond with a 15-0 run, kick started by a Burbage 3-pointer. Woodward followed that up with a lay-up off a Frye assist, then Chimics had four straight points.

Back to back buckets by Woodward made it 15-4, then Burbage hit a lay-up for a 17-4 lead.

Brennin Thoman hit a 3-ball to cut it to 17-7, but the Trojans followed that with a 9-0 run, which was started on a Frye 3-pointer.

Chimics followed with two straight buckets, then Trey Teribury had a lay-up to make it 26-7.

NEB rallied with a 3-ball from Brown, then a lay-up out of Brennin Thoman to make it 26-12 after one.

Burbage made a lay-up to start the second, followed by Tyler Thoman hitting a 3-pointer for a 28-15 game.

The Trojans then pushed forward with a 10-0 run, which included 3-balls by Burbage and Woodward for a 38-15 lead.

An Herb 3-pointer made it 38-18, but a pair of Chimics baskets pushed the Trojan advantage to 42-18.

NEB started hitting some shots after that, beginning with a Brown 3-pointer. After a Burbage lay-up Brown hit another jumper for a 44-23 score.

Chimics would get a lay-up, followed by another Brown 3-ball. The two continued to go back and forth, with Chimics scoring off a Frye assist, followed by Brown bagging a jumper.

A Frye 3-ball made it 51-28, but Brown finished off the frame strong, hitting two free throws to end the quarter with 12 points as NEB made it a 21-point game at the half.

The back and forth continued early in the third as Chimics scored off a Woodward helper, followed by Stanton steal and lay-up.

Trey Teribury would bag a 3-ball for a 56-32 lead, but Brown came back with a lay-up.

Troy, though, followed that with a 20-2 run to put the game into the mercy rule, beginning with a Frye jumper. Woodward would get a lay-up, then Trey Teribury hit a 3-ball to make it 63-34.

A Wilkes lay-up cut it to 27 point game but a Trey Teribury 3-pointer at the other end made it 66-36, putting the mercy rule in effect.

NEB will now prepare to host a district game next week, while Troy will face NP-Mansfield for the third time this season on Friday in the title game with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off at Mansfield University.

“Mansfield is a really good team, and it’s a really cool opportunity that our league’s providing,” Coach Woodward said. “We’re going to get some rest tonight, and we’re going to have to get ready to play.”

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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING

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