Basketball Game Preview: Mount Union Trojans vs. Penns Valley Area Rams

Mount Union hasn't had much luck against Penns Valley Area recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Mount Union Trojans will look to defend their home court against the Penns Valley Area Rams at 5:30 p.m.

Mount Union will face Penns Valley Area after dropping another heartbreaker against McConnellsburg on Tuesday, which marked the second time in a row the team's come within 3.1 of beating them. Mount Union took a 49-43 hit to the loss column at the hands of McConnellsburg. While losing is never fun, the Trojans can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 560th, while the Spartans are ranked 271st).

Despite their loss, Mount Union saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Cailyn Skopic, who went 8 of 18 en route to 17 points along with eight boards and six steals, was perhaps the best of all. Those eight rebounds gave Skopic a new career-high. Maddie Dimoff was another key player, putting up 17 points and seven boards.

Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Penns Valley Area ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They skirted past Tyrone 45-43. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Rams have posted since January 29, 2024.

The victory made it two in a row for Penns Valley Area and bumps their season record up to 9-7. As for Mount Union, their defeat dropped their record down to 5-10.

Mount Union was dealt a bruising 65-22 loss at the hands of Penns Valley Area in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Penns Valley Area's Ellie Romig, who almost dropped a double-double on 20 points and nine rebounds. Now that Mount Union knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.