Hazleton Area Cougars (Hazleton, PA) backers were pleased Thursday as they saw their basketball squad knock off the visiting Harrisburg Cougars (Harrisburg, PA), 65-53 in a non-league bout.

With the victory, Hazleton Area upgrades its record to 1-1 on the campaign. The Cougars travel to Pottsville (Pottsville, PA) to play the Crimson Tide in a non-league bout on Saturday, December 9. The Crimson Tide come into the bout with a record of 2-1. Pottsville won 65-37 in their recent league bout against Pine Grove (Pine Grove, PA)

Next up, the Cougars play the Carlisle Thundering Herd (Carlisle, PA) in a Mid-Penn - Commonwealth bout, on Tuesday, December 12. Harrisburg will attempt to upgrade on its 0-1 season record. The Thundering Herd come into the bout with a 1-0 record after their 78-56 non-league win over Gettysburg (Gettysburg, PA).