Basketball Game Preview: Portage Mustangs vs. Claysburg-Kimmel Bulldogs

Two dominant guards in Owen Gouse and Brayden Haney are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Portage Mustangs will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against the Claysburg-Kimmel Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Portage will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.

Last Monday, Portage strolled past Windber with points to spare, taking the game 53-39. Given the Mustangs' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 125th, while the Ramblers are ranked 322nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

It was another big night for Trae Kargo, who went 5-for-12 on his way to 19 points and seven assists. Another player making a difference was Gouse, who went 7-for-16 to rack up 18 points and seven boards.

Meanwhile, Claysburg-Kimmel suffered their biggest loss since March 13, 2024 on Friday. They had to suffer through a 77-36 loss at the hands of McConnellsburg. The Bulldogs haven't had much luck with the Spartans recently, as the team has come up short the last three times they've met.

Portage's victory was their seventh straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 18-5. As for Claysburg-Kimmel, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-11.

Everything came up roses for Portage against Claysburg-Kimmel in their previous matchup back in February of 2022, as the team secured an 80-32 win. In that game, Portage amassed a halftime lead of 35-14, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Tuesday.