Hornets top Towanda to win NTL Showdown
By: Ed Weaver | NTL Sports | February 16, 2014
The third meeting was the charm as Wellsboro knocked off Towanda to win the NTL boys basketball title for the 2013-14 season with a 56-47 victory.
The Hornets trailed 16-13 after the first quarter, but slowly chipped away at Towanda's lead. The first lead for the Hornets came at 4:48 in the second quarter as Junior Michael Pietropola hit a pair of free throws to put Wellsboro up 21-19. The Hornets outscored Towanda 12-7 in the second to take a 25-23 lead at the half.
The Hornets started the third quarter with a 7-0 run and eventually held a 39-30 lead after a jumper shot by Senior Joey Doganiero.
The fourth quarter was all Wellsboro as the Hornets forced Towanda to settle for outside jump shots. Towanda failed to find a rhythm offensively and finished the game shooting 6-for-36 from three-point range.
Pietropola led four Hornets in double figures with 15 points. Doganiero and Senior Dylan Prough each had 11 points, Junior Kieron Smethers had his second straight double-double with 10 points and 17 rebounds, Sophomore Dawson Prough finished with 8 points, and Junior Jake Mitchell finished with one.
The win improves the Hornets' season record to 19-5 (8-2 NTL Division 1). The team will begin District IV play next week.
Ed Weaver is the owner of Circle W Sports in Wellsboro, PA, is the Sports Director for The Home Page Network and the creator of WellsboroAthletics.com and WellsboroFootball.com. You can follow him on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.
