BY CHRIS MANNINGNorthern Tier Sports Report
WYALUSING — Wyalusing started hot out of the gates, but once Troy took control of the game late in the first quarter they never relinquished it, beating the Rams 48-30 during NTL girls’ hoops action Thursday.
“We’re working on different things in practice, and so we’re changing some things to get more efficient that way,” said Troy coach Steve Renzi. “I just think this gym is always tough to shoot at. I knew once we got going we’d go.”
Wyalusing led 8-1 halfway through the first quarter but Troy closed it to 11-9 at the first horn.
The Trojans then out scored Wyalusing 19-4 in the second quarter to take a 28-15 lead at the half.
From there they just never let the Rams get back into the ball game.
“It just feels amazing,” Troy’s Kyah Renzo said about the win. “We’ve been working for this all year long, and it just feels amazing to win.”
Troy is now one win away from clinching their third straight league title, which they’ll try to do on Tuesday when they host Towanda.
“It just feels amazing to come out and do this,” Renzo said about being this close to raising another banner.
Renzo had 17 points on 8-for-15 shooting to go with seven boards, five steals, and two blocks.
Giana Renzi notched 11 points, five assists, and four steals, as Raelyn Woodward had 10 points, nine boards, and three steals.
Emma Mickley chipped in with four points, as Izzy Renzi, and Haidyn Watson had three points apiece. Izzy also had six steals, and three assists, with Watson dishing out three assists.
Emily Johns led Wyalusing with 14 points, as Treanna Nickeson notched seven.
Alysha Botts scored five, with Binley Sterling, and Jenna Morningstar getting two points each.
It was a defensive slugfest for much of the contest as both teams played physical.
“We had a tough shooting night on Tuesday night, and then we didn’t shoot the ball great here in the first half,” Renzi said. “We need to take the ball to the basket. When we rely on the three we kind of fall in love with it. You’ve got to work form inside out, as what Coach White always says.”
It was the Rams scoring the first six points with Johns getting two freebies, followed by a lay-up from Sterling. A Johns bucket off a Morningstar assist made it a 6-0 contest halfway through the first quarter.
A Woodward free throw got Troy on the scoreboard, but a Nickeson runner pushed the Wyalusing lead to 8-1.
“I tried to not let it bother me,” Renzo said about Wyalusing’s fast start. “Just keep pushing, and finding my teammates. Just keep bringing each other up to win.”
It was a Watson 3-ball with 2:18 left in the opening frame to give Troy their first field goal. Woodward then hit a jumper to cut it to 8-6.
Botts nailed a 3-ball at the other end, but Woodward hit a 3-pointer before the buzzer for the 2-point difference.
Troy tied it up early in the second with a pair of Giana Renzi free throws, then Renzo had the first two of her eight points in the quarter to put Troy up 13-11.
A Johns put back tied the game up at 13-all, but then Troy went on a 10-0 run beginning with back to back buckets from Renzo, followed by 3-balls by Giana Renzi, and Renzo, to make it 23-13.
Another Johns put back ended the streak, but a Mickley bucket off a Watson helper pushed the lead back to 10.
Just before the buzzer Giana Renzi hit a 3-ball for a 13-point lead at the half.
“I think, defensively, we had more communication,” Renzo said about the turn around. “We just told ourselves to just calm down, and really just take the ball to the basket.”
It was back and forth early in the third as Woodward opened the quarter with a lay-up, followed by a Botts jumper.
Izzy Renzi hit a shot at the other end, with Johns scoring off a Sterling helper.
Troy would end the quarter on a 5-0 run as Renzo hit a reverse lay-up, followed by Giana Renzi going 1-for-2 from the line.
A Renzo lay-up before the horn saw Troy open up a 37-19 lead.
The Trojans extended their lead to 41-19 early in the fourth with a 4-0 run, though a Nickeson 3-ball cut it to 41-22.
A Mickley bucket made it a 21-point difference again, but the Rams still had some fight left in them, as they responded with a 6-0 run.
Johns had back to back put backs, with Nickeson getting a steal and lay-up to make it 43-28 halfway through the fourth.
Time began to tick down for Wyalusing and they turned to fouling.
Woodward went 2-for-2 from the line to make it 45-28.
After a Morningstar bucket, Renzo got a lay-up, followed by a free throw from Izzy Renzi for the 48-30 final.
Wyalusing won the JV game 51-40 with Sterling scoring 16 for the Rams as Callie Warner had 14 points.
Kyli Oldroyd had 11 to lead Troy with Jazmyn Frisbie scoring 10.
Wyalusing (10-8) falls into a tie with Towanda in second place in the Large School division as they travel to Wellsboro next Tuesday.
Troy (15-3) holds tight to the top spot going into next week, while also sitting in second place for the District IV, Class AAA standings.
“We’re just going to keep working hard,” Renzi said. “Keep playing every game one at a time, just giving everything we’ve got every time we’re out on the court, and in practice.”
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PHOTOS BY CHRIS MANNING
