Basketball Preview: Laurel Highlands Mustangs vs. Southmoreland Scotties
The Laurel Highlands Mustangs will head out on the road to take on the Southmoreland Scotties at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams have had a bumpy ride up to this point with 15 consecutive losses for Laurel Highlands and three for the Scotties.
Laurel Highlands pushed their score all the way to 56 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They lost to Belle Vernon at home by a decisive 75-56 margin. While losing is never fun, Laurel Highlands can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 552nd, while the Leopards are ranked 119th).
Meanwhile, Southmoreland pushed their score all the way to 56 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. Their rough 78-56 defeat to Uniontown might stick with them for a while. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Southmoreland in their matchups with the Red Raiders: they've now lost eight in a row.
Laurel Highlands dropped their record down to 2-18 with that defeat, which was their seventh straight at home. Those losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 56.1 points per game. As for Southmoreland, they have been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 14-6 record this season.
Laurel Highlands came up short against the Scotties when the teams last played back in January, falling 59-53. Can Laurel Highlands avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
