We took a look at the top 10 moments from area boys’ basketball yesterday. Now, the girls take the spotlight. And that light really shined bright upon a memorable 2025.

10. Haley Litzelman reaches 1K in dominant fashion: The North Penn-Liberty senior will play softball at Bucknell but she has become one of the most decorated basketball players in program history. Litzelman proved it again, going for a triple-double while reaching 1,000 career points last Monday. Litzelman erupted for 37 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, dealt six assists and added five steals to reach 1,000. Oh yeah, she also broke a program record with eight 3-pointers in that win.

9. Canton raises the bar: Canton put together one of the year’s best turnarounds, nearly doubling its win from the previous season and reaching states for the first time since 2002. Canton finished third in districts, defeating Southern Columbia and Mid-Penn champion Northwest and its 17 wins were the program’s most since 2000. Senior Kendall Kitchen fanned the flames and became the program’s first 1,000-point scorer in 23 years. The Warriors have built on that momentum this season, starting 7-1.

8. Curtis Jacobson reaches 200: One game after Loyalsock won a state title, Jacobson reached a personal milestone in the team’s season opener when he earned his 200th career win. The 200 wins are impressive enough, but what stands out more is how quickly they came. It speaks volumes that the regular season is 22 games long and Jacobson has averaged 22.1 wins in his first nine completed seasons. His teams also have reached states every year there, won four district titles and a state crown.

7. Maddie Smith goes on a rampage: Entering the season, it seemed like Maddie Smith might reach 1,000 career points as a junior sometime after the new year. Instead, the Hughesville guard rapidly checked that goal off her list, reaching it in just six games. The final three especially stood out. First, Smith scored 35 points and dealt six assists against Wyalusing. Next she twice made history, scoring a Hughesville record 39 points and draining a record seven 3-pointers in a win at Shikellamy. Next up was a 30-point, 10-rebound, six-steal performance at Central Mountain as Smith joined former teammate Alli Anstadt and Chelsey Holmes as the program’s only 1,000-point scorers this century.

6. Neumann overcomes odds; achieves winning season: On the surface, that might not seem like a big deal since the Knights captured the 2024 District 4 Class A championship and reached the state’s Elite 8 in consecutive campaigns. But Neumann had only six players a year ago and had no margin for error on a nightly basis since it could quickly be down to four players on the court. Through it all, Niyah Tutler scored her 1,000th career point, Neumann went 13-10 and it nearly made it back to the district semifinals.

5. Alli Anstadt earns all-state honors: No Hughesville girls’ player had been named all-state in the 2000s, so it seemed appropriate that a player who helped the program reach new heights became its first member. Anstadt started all four years at Hughesville, helping it win its first district championship and state tournament games. She nearly averaged a double-double as a senior and was rewarded with a third team all-state selection. Anstadt topped both 1,000 career points and 700 rebounds and helped the Spartans win 47 games her final two seasons.

4. Muncy pulls the historic double play: A year after winning the program’s first district championship since 2001 and reaching the state quarterfinals for the first time, Muncy again made history. This time it did so by becoming the first ever back-to-back champion in program history. It was quite a revenge tour as well with Muncy taking out Northwest in the semifinals and Northeast Bradford in the championship after both had won regular-season contests. The Indians won all three district games by double-digit margins and Addi Eyer was spectacular in the final, going for 19 points, five assists and five steals.

3. Peyton Dincher joins exclusive club: She already had become Jersey Shore’s all-time leading scorer, but Dincher became the fourth face on a Mount Rushmore of 2,000-point area scorers this century. The three-time first team Class AAAA all-state selection reached 2,000 points in the district championship against Central Columbia, finishing her storied high school career with 2,026, while helping the Bulldogs reach three straight finals, three state tournaments and win three league titles. Dincher is now flourishing at Le Moyne. She scored 14 points at Bucknell and 11 against the country’s No. 7-ranked team, Baylor.

2. Loyalsock and Hughesville produce another classic: For a second straight year, Loyalsock and Hughesville met for the District 4 Class AAA championship and fans jammed the bleachers at Montoursville. And, just when it seemed the two could not reproduce the thriller that saw Hughesville win its first district crown the previous season, they upped the ante. The Spartans built an 11-point third quarter lead, but Loyalsock came storming back and Alaina Dadzie went off for 19 of her 28 points in the second half as it won a, 52-49 thriller. Loyalsock won the trophy but both it and Hughesville again produced a win for area girls’ basketball, leaving all they had on the court. A week later, the Spartans would go to the wire again and rally past Holy Redeemer for a last-second 56-53 state tournament win.

1. Loyalsock makes history; wins state gold: All those years it felt like state championships were from other Pennsylvania teams, but Loyalsock broke through and delivered Lycoming County its first girls’ state crown. What a road it traveled, too. Following the classic district final against Hughesville, Loyalsock won five consecutive state games, taking out perennial powers Dunmore and Imhotep and then playing a near-perfect fourth quarter to defeat Shady Side Academy, 55-43. Lacey Kriebel played the game of her life with 23 points and 11 rebounds and she and Dadzie were both All-Tournament selections. Both earned all-state honors as well with Dadzie taking Class AAA Player of the Year honors. Curtis Jacobson was named Class AAA Coach of the Year.

PUTBACKS

Canton captured its Christmas Tournament championship, winning close games against Sullivan County and North Penn-Liberty. The Warriors won those games by 10 combined points, rallying from a three-point fourth quarter deficit to edge Sullivan, 49-47 … The Griffins showed marked improvement from an early-season game against Canton and took third with a 34-4 win against Galeton. Eva Fresno scored a career-high 22 points against Canton and was an all-tournament selection … Jersey Shore (4-3) opened its HAC-I schedule with a 40-29 win at Selinsgrove as Kylie Schall matched her career-high with 16 points. Freshman Marlee Lehman added 10 as the Bulldogs avenged a road loss from last season … Teagan Osunde returned from injury at the Bill Higgins Christmas Tournament and showed Friday against Mifflinburg that she is returning to form, going for 14 points and 13 rebounds in a 28-24 win. Freshman India Walker had seven rebounds and six steals in that game, while Ava Motto scored eight points … Carrie King earned all-tournament honors at the Mike Fought Christmas Tournament in Hughesville, totaling 37 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists as Milton took third place.

Chris Masse may be reached at cmasse@sungazette.com. Follow him on Twitter at @docmasse.

DR. MASSE’S TOP 5 RANKINGS

1. Hughesville (8-1): Following seven straight blowout wins, Hughesville encountered quite a test against surging Southern Columbia. It passed in impressive fashion, going into a tough environment, and winning, 65-53. The Spartans closed on a 21-9 run after it was tied entering the fourth quarter. That was just the kind of game and atmosphere Hughesville needed. Smith scored 26 points and Allyssa King had 11. Vivian Draper and Anna Easton shined in a Mike Fought Christmas Tournament championship win against Wyalusing, combining for 16 points, 19 rebounds, 10 steals and six assists.

2. Loyalsock (6-3): Loyalsock turned up the defense in quality road wins at Jersey Shore and Mount Carmel, limiting the squads with 13 combined wins to 67 points. The Lancers won their 22nd straight HAC-III game with the 51-29 win at Mount Carmel. Alaina Dadzie has collected six straight double-doubles and had 31 points and 25 rebounds in the two wins. Jaekairah Harden returned from injury and it’s not a coincidence that the defense picked up upon her return. She had seven steals in those wins and Madison Perry 10.

3. Muncy (7-0): Muncy made an early-season statement last Tuesday, going on the road and thumping Line Mountain, 48-23. The Eagles entered 6-1, so it was an especially strong performance as the defense did not allow more than 10 points in a quarter. The Indians then won a hard-fought 45-38 game against North Penn-Mansfield, avenging a loss from last season. North Penn-Mansfield became the first team to reach 30 points against Muncy, but Rosie Zalonis drained four 3-pointers and the Indians rallied from a second quarter deficit.

4. Canton (7-1): Canton took a five-game winning streak into last night’s game at Wyalusing which ended after press time. It’s a big week for the Warriors who play five-time defending NTL-II champion Northeast Bradford Wednesday. They built momentum by capturing the Canton Christmas Tournament, winning hard-fought games against Sullivan County and North Penn-Liberty. Canton rallied from a fourth quarter deficit in the semifinals as Lydia Roupp went off, scoring all 14 of her points in those final eight minutes. Cailyn Van Noy scored 20 points and combined with Stella Rockwell for seven steals in the final.

5. Montoursville (5-4): Shamokin ended Montoursville’s four-game winning streak Friday, but the Warriors nearly erased an 11-point halftime deficit in a 32-31 loss. The Warriors have exceeded last year’s win total and captured the Dionna Satteson Christmas Tournament at Montgomery, defeating Midd-West and Meadowbrook Christian. Kayleigh Sheleman was Tournament MVP, producing 33 points before generating her fourth double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) at Shamokin. Emily George made 15 steals in the two tournament games and Marleigh Bainbridge scored 22 points, making seven steals in the final.

Players of the Week

Ava Eyer, Muncy and Eva Sockman, Bucktail: Eyer was a force against Line Mountain and North Penn-Mansfield, totaling 33 points, 31 rebounds and 13 steals. The junior forward had 16 points and 16 rebounds at Line Mountain before going for 17 points, 15 rebounds and six steals against North Penn-Mansfield. Eyer has three double-doubles this season after ending her sophomore season with one in the state tournament. Sockman helped Bucktail take second at the West Branch Tournament, generating double-doubles in both contests. Sockman totaled 28 points and 34 rebounds and has made a big impact since returning from injury. Sockman owned the boards in a 37-30 win against Bald Eagle Area, grabbing 22 rebounds and scoring 17 points.

Game of the Week

Hughesville at Loyalsock: One might want to arrive early for a rematch of consecutive dramatic District 4 Class AAA championships, split between these rivals. This will be the first time they have met since last year’s epic final and the winner gains the inside track to the HAC-III crown. Hughesville and Loyalsock have won 11 combined state tournament games the past two years and each has made the other better. This is the first of at least two contests they will play this season and it will be both exciting and fiercely fought.