Athens spoils Nelsonville-Yorks’ senior night with sound 12-point victory
By: Cade Williamson, Sedric Granger
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NELSONVILLE, Ohio (WOUB) — The Nelsonville-York Buckeyes and the Athens Bulldogs squared up against each other for some mid-week TVC-Ohio action. These teams met each other already in December, where the Buckeyes took the 47-40 victory over the Bulldogs in McAfee Gymnasium.
It was senior night for Nelsonville-York, which added even more intensity to this rivalry game. The first half started off slow, as both teams flexed their defensive might with their zone setups. The Buckeyes and Bulldogs went at each other, with N.Y. taking the halftime lead, 24-23.
The third quarter was where the game started to heat up though, as both teams went bucket for bucket to start the second half. Athens eventually pulled out to a ten-point lead with the help of Landon Wheatley and Levi Neal. The Bulldogs rained down threes all second half, but Nelsonville-York kept it close.
Wheatley eventually fouled out in the early stages of the fourth quarter, but Derrick Welsh flexed his might on the boards to help keep the lead for the Bulldogs. Athens rode Welsh’s performance all the way to end, pulling out the victory, 55-43.
The Bulldogs continue their dominance over the Buckeyes, winning 20 of the last 22 matchups between these two teams. Nelsonville-York’s drought of sweeping Athens now falls to 14 years, as they have failed to do so since the 2007-2008 season.
The Buckeyes were led by Leighton Loge, who finished with 18 points on the evening, and Keagan Swope, who had seven rebounds, seven assists, and six steals. Nelsonville-York will fall to 1-10 in conference play, looking to finish their regular season on a high note Friday night against River Valley.
Athens was led by Wheatley, who finished with 16 points, and Neal, who dropped 15 points, all being from behind the arch. The Bulldogs, riding a four-game win-streak, improve to 6-5 in conference play. They will look to upset the Alexander Spartans once again Friday night, as they travel to The Alley to take on Kyler D’Augustino and company.