Basketball Recap: Athens Comes Up Short

Athens fought the good fight in their overtime matchup against North Penn-Liberty on Thursday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the North Penn-Liberty Mountie by a score of 66-63. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Wildcats have suffered since January 25th.

When it comes to explaining why Athens lost, don't look at Nick Grazul. Despite the final result, he posted 23 points and three steals. That's the most steals Grazul has posted since back in December of 2023. Jase Babcock was another key player, putting up 19 points and eight rebounds.

North Penn-Liberty's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Louis Mercantino, who almost dropped a triple-double on 12 points, ten rebounds, and nine steals. Another player making a difference was Adynn Wheeland, who had 19 points in addition to six boards and six steals.

Athens' loss dropped their record down to 1-1. As for North Penn-Liberty, their record is now 2-3.

Athens wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next contest, a 70-47 defeat against Norwich on the 13th. As for North Penn-Liberty, they will host Towanda at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. North Penn-Liberty is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 55.8 points per game this season.