NTL GIRLS' BASKETBALL: TOWANDA SHOWS A LOT OF GROWTH IN 2024-2025 (2025-03-23)

Northern Tier Sports Report
It was a season of growth for the Towanda girls’ basketball team, which went from a 3-7 start to the state playoffs in the 2024-2025 season.

“Last season our main priority was to gain as much valuable experience as possible, and we were able to do just that, as we had almost no returning varsity experience from the previous season,” said Towanda coach Rob Gentile. “This year it was all about growth! We wanted to continue to gain valuable experience with our younger players, but more so, just grow together as a team! I would have to say that this team far exceeded the growth that anyone could have predicted.”

The Knights finished 14-8 on the season to earn a home playoff game, their first in two years, and took third in the District IV, Class AAA playoffs.

“They did that by working extremely hard in practice and even harder in games and focusing on our team standards that we feel give us the best chance at success,” Gentile said. “We have a saying that we live by,  "surrender the outcome!" We try not to get caught up in the act of winning games. When you do that, you often succumb to the pressures of winning. That can create frustration, and a lack of belief. Our focus all year was simply to be the toughest, hardest working, and most together team every time we stepped on the floor. We let the results of the game take care of itself. I believe this really helped us to remain focused on the little things that happen during the course of a game that factor into the outcome. It took the pressure off and allowed the kids to just play the game.”

They opened with a loss against Loyalsock (54-21), then returned to beat Sayre (42-9), and Williamson (41-15).

A 4-game losing streak followed as they lost to Elk Lake (53-36), St. Mary’s (75-28), Johnson City (53-28), and Athens (50-40).

They would break the run with a win over Wellsboro (48-44), then had a pair of close losses to Troy (77-54), and Williamsport (45-42).

“Early in the year, I feel our focus was simply on winning, and we weren't very successful,” said Gentile. “Personally, I wasn't that worried about the record, because we play a very aggressive non-league schedule and that is by design. We do that to prepare us to compete at a high level in our league, while also preparing us for what we will see in postseason play. I would have to say that it worked for us, finishing league play with a 13-3 overall record, and finishing the regular season winning 11 of our last 12 games.”

They would go on a 9-game winning streak from mid-January to early February. They started with wins over Sullivan County (65-30), and NP-Mansfield (65-52), then gutted out a win at Wyalusing (52-48).

Wins over NP-Liberty (50-39), CV (61-42), and Canton (51-24) followed. Then came a key late January stretch that saw them beat Wyalusing (52-42), NEB (64-58), and Athens (47-37).

They would lose to Troy (68-27) but ended the regular season with wins over Wellsboro (58-18), and NP-Mansfield (65-39).

“So, sitting at 3-7 in early January really did not surprise me or worry me, but at the same time it was a little frustrating for our kids,” Gentile said. “As a staff, we just kept encouraging them and tried to keep them focused on our team standards. The surprising part was the absolute "buy-in" of our players at that time to uphold those standards, and the growth of this team in the last month and a half in what they were able to do and achieve was absolutely incredible to watch. It was a complete team effort and the progress they made should be commended. It is probably the most individual and team growth of any team I have ever coached. The best part is there is so much more room for growth and hopefully each and every one of them will return next year, while also adding a group of 8th graders next season that are high quality kids and athletes that will fit right into what we do and how we do it.”

They would lose to NEB in the first round of the NTL Showcase but punched their ticket to states with a playoff win over Wyalusing (60-32).

Loyalsock (52-20) got them again in the semifinals, but Towanda rallied to beat Mt. Carmel (41-40) in the third place game. Their season ended against River Valley in the first round of states.

“This group far exceeded our expectations of them! An NTL Showdown and District IV Semifinal appearance, a DIV consolation game win against a very good program in Mount Carmel and securing a Bronze Medal in the DIV AAA Tournament and topping it all off with an appearance in the PIAA State Tournament was much more than I could have imagined for this team,” said Gentile. “I will say I did expect this kind of success for this group, but I would be lying if I said I expected it this soon! The sky is truly the limit for this team, but it is going to take a tremendous amount of work to get back to a Championship level, and to be able to compete at the District and State level consistently as well. Now we are going to see if they are ready and willing to put in that work. If they are, I sure I'm not the only one who thinks this group can be really dangerous in the near future.”

The forward-guard duo of Brynn Woodruff (13.5 PPG) and Payton Perry (12 PPG) led the Knights, while Mya Maynard (9 PPG) did the dirty work down low.

Karis Flynn (4 PPG), and Kennedy Heyer rounded out the starters, while freshmen Mary-Kate Eberlin and Reese Sullivan provided plenty of energy off the bench.

And for the Knights, all seven key players return next season.

“They are a special group of players that come from awesome families who support what we do,” Gentile said. “This season was truly a team effort, and the success we achieved was a culmination of that team and group effort. It is a direct result of coaches, players, parents, administration, and school family all being on the same page and all wanting the same things. It really is the only way a consistently successful program has to work, and we feel very blessed to have that at Towanda.”

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