WAVERLY JV HOLDS OFF NEWARK VALLEY, 42-37, FOR 23RD STRAIGHT WIN
By: Tim Birney | Waverly Athletics | February 19, 2021
NEWARK VALLEY — After trailing for the first 2 1/2 quarters, Waverly
took the lead and extended it to double-digits, then held on for dear
life in a 42-37 win over Newark Valley here Friday evening in IAC junior
varsity boys basketball action.
The win is the 23rd straight for the junior Wolverines dating back to last season.
“It
was a very physical game in which struggled to score in first half,”
said Waverly JV coach Michael Croft. “I’m very proud of the kids who
stepped up and made the most of their minutes. In particular Jake
VanHouten who is getting healthier each day
Landon Spoonhower
scored 10 points in the first half to help the junior Cardinals to an
18-17 lead at the intermission. Nate DeLill paced Waverly with eight
points.
Daniel Truesdail scored a pair of buckets early in the
third quarter to keep Newark Valley in the lead, but Waverly closed the
stanza with 16-4 run, fueled by 10 points from Isaiah Bretz and four
points from Jake Benjamin, to take a 35-26 lead into the final eight
minutes.
Bretz added a pair of free throws early in the fourth
quarter to extend the Waverly lead to 37-26, but Newark Valley closed
the gap to 39-37 in the final minute. Truesdail and Danile Pirger
spearheaded NV’s fourth-quarter comeback with four points apiece, and
Gavin Mann added a 3-pointer.
Jake VanHouten sealed the victory for the Wolverines with a pair of free throws with 15 seconds remaining.
Bretz
led Waverly with 13 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and four
steals, while DeLill had 10 points and six boards, and VanHouten had six
points and five rebounds.
Jay Pipher scored five points in the
win, while Benjamin chipped in with four points and three rebounds,
Kayla Bechy grabbed six rebounds, and Carter George added four boards.
Truesdail led Newark Valley with 11 points, while Spoonhower and Pirger added 10 points apiece, and Mann chipped in with five.
Waverly hosts Tioga tonight.
About the Author
Tim Birney is the founder / owner of River Road Media Group. He was born and raised in the Valley, graduating from Waverly High School in 1984.
Birney earned an Associate's Degree in Journalism from SUNY Morrisville in 1986 and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism / Public Relations from Utica College of Syracuse University in 1988. He began his newspaper career at The Daily Review in Towanda in 1989, before moving on to The Evening Times in 1995. He spent more than 10 years at the Times, the last four as Managing Editor.
River Road Media Group includes Valley Sports Report (launched Aug. 10, 2009), Tioga County (NY) Sports Report (Aug. 13, 2018), and Northern Tier Sports Report (Aug. 31, 2020). Southern Tier Sports Report is set to launch in 2021.
