Basketball Game Preview: Mechanicsburg Wildcats vs. Cumberland Valley Eagles

Mechanicsburg hasn't had much luck against Cumberland Valley recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Mechanicsburg Wildcats will face off against the Cumberland Valley Eagles at 7:30 p.m. Mechanicsburg will be looking to extend their current 11-game winning streak.

Last Thursday, Mechanicsburg beat Penn Manor 63-51. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 37th, while the Comets are ranked 231st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Cumberland Valley). They breezed by Central Dauphin East to the tune of 85-36 on Wednesday. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 12 contests by 21 points or more this season.

Mechanicsburg better keep an eye on Creston Austin. He was instrumental in Cumberland Valley's win, dropping a double-double on 22 points and 11 rebounds. That's the most points Austin has posted since back in February of 2024. Jared Dolimpio was another key player, going 5 for 8 on his way to 18 points and four steals.

Cumberland Valley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

Mechanicsburg pushed their record up to 16-2 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.2 points over those games. As for Cumberland Valley, the victory was the sixth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 19-3.

Mechanicsburg came up short against Cumberland Valley in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 55-46. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Austin, who went 8 of 16 en route to 24 points along with eight boards and four steals. Now that Mechanicsburg knows the damage he can cause, will they be able to stop him this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.