Defenders Pull Away From Wellsboro In Third Quarter In D4 Quarterfinals

By: Ed Weaver  /  February 20, 2026

Coming off a six point halftime lead, to-seeded Warrior Run produced a 19-point third quarter to defeat the Wellsboro Boys Basketball team 73-39 in the District IV Class 3A Quarterfinals Thursday.

The Defenders jumped out to a quick 7-0 lead in the game's first two minutes and seven seconds, forcing a Hornet timeout, then hit a deep three-pointer right out of the break, to go up 10-0. The Defenders ended the 1st leading 20-9, however the Hornets' began chipping away at the lead in the 2nd.

Shots finally started falling for Wellsboro as they outscored the Defenders 18-13 and got the lead down to 33-27 at the half.

Then the wheels fell off.

Warrior Run went back to work following the break, going on a quick 8-3 run to start the 3rd and forcing another Wellsboro timeout. The third quarter has been their Achilles heel all season, and Thursday's game was no different. The Defenders broke open the game with a 19-5 quarter to build a 52-32 lead, then outscored the Hornets 21-7 in the 4th to kick in the mercy rule and close out the game.

Senior Luke Rothermel led the Hornets with 11 points and 8 rebounds in his final game while junior Colin Fletcher and sophomore Griffin Morral scored 7 points apiece. Junior Gideon Lawton and freshman James Doughtie added 4 points each, and seniors Jonathan Carl and Marek Mascho and sophomore Keegan VanZile all scored 2 points.

Morral added 6 rebounds and made 4 assists, Carl grabbed 5 boards, Mascho made 3 assists and had 2 rebounds, and Doughtie had 3 rebounds and an assist.

Wellsboro turned the ball over 20 times.

Aiden McKee and Landon Polcyn combined for 45 of the Defenders' points, with McKee leading all scorers with 23.

Wellsboro's 2025-26 season ends with a 12-12 record (9-7 NTL Large School Division).