Basketball Game Preview: North Star Cougars vs. Shady Side Academy Bulldogs

North Star has won seven straight games at home, while Shady Side Academy has won seven straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Saturday. The North Star Cougars will welcome the Shady Side Academy Bulldogs at 2:00 p.m.

North Star is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering McConnellsburg just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Monday. They fell 49-39 to the Spartans.

Ethan Smith

Steals

03/03/25 vs McConnellsburg	2
02/27/25 vs Chestnut Ridge	2
02/21/25 vs Everett	2
02/14/25 vs West Branch	3
02/13/25 @ Bishop Carroll	5
+ 16 more games

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Ethan Smith, who posted 18 points and six rebounds. He is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in each of the last 21 games he's played. Toby Sheehan was another key player, putting up seven points in addition to ten boards and three blocks.

Meanwhile, Shady Side Academy extended their postseason success on Wednesday against Ellwood City. Everything went their way against the Wolverine as they made off with a 67-46 win.

Shady Side Academy is on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-13 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.1 points over those games. North Star's defeat dropped their record down to 20-6.