Preview: Portage Mustangs vs. Conemaugh Township Indians
The Portage Mustangs will look to defend their home court on Friday against the Conemaugh Township Indians at 7:00 p.m. The timing isn't great for Portage: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while Conemaugh Township has snatched up three consecutive wins on the road.
Portage posted their biggest win yet this season on Wednesday. They took their contest on the road with ease, bagging a 68-34 victory over Cambria Heights.
Portage's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Owen Gouse led the charge by scoring 17 points along with two steals. Brennan Kunko was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with five rebounds and four steals.
Conemaugh Township proved they can win big last Thursday (they won by 25) but on Wednesday they proved they can win the close ones too. They had just enough and edged Conemaugh Valley out 60-57. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory Conemaugh Township has posted yet this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Conemaugh Township to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jon Updyke, who scored 21 points along with seven rebounds and four steals. Updyke is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last 14 games he's played. Another player making a difference was Ethan Matera, who scored 17 points along with nine rebounds and seven steals.
Portage now has a winning record of 8-7. As for Conemaugh Township, their victory bumped their record up to 14-2.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Portage hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 61.7 points per game. However, it's not like Conemaugh Township struggles in that department as they've been averaging 65.1 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Portage came up short against Conemaugh Township when the teams last played back in December of 2023, falling 71-60. Will Portage have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get analysis of the match and other basketball content.
