Preview: Harmony Area Owls vs. Purchase Line Red Dragons
The Harmony Area Owls will look to defend their home court on Monday against the Purchase Line Red Dragons at 7:15 p.m. The pair have had a bumpy ride up to this point with seven consecutive losses for Harmony Area and five for Purchase Line.
Harmony Area pushed their score all the way to 63 last Wednesday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell just short of Blacklick Valley by a score of 66-63. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat Harmony Area has suffered yet this season.
Harmony Area might have lost, but man, Jack Bracken was a machine: he scored 38 points along with nine rebounds and two blocks. That was a full 60.3% of Harmony Area's points, marking the seventh time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was JJ Sward, who scored nine points.
Purchase Line suffered their biggest loss since December 15, 2023 on Thursday. They were dealt a 59-30 loss at the hands of Marion Center. Purchase Line found out winning isn't easy when you don't work as a unit and post nine fewer assists than your opponent.
Purchase Line's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Jakob Mountain, who scored six points along with six rebounds, and Jacob Kauffman who scored eight points.
Purchase Line struggled to work together and finished the game with only three assists. They are winless (0-4) when they just don't pass the ball.
Harmony Area has been struggling recently, as they've lost eight of their last nine matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-12 record this season. As for Purchase Line, their loss was their 11th straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 1-15.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Harmony Area hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 53.4 points per game. It's a different story for Purchase Line, though, as they've been averaging only 39.5 points per game. The only thing between Harmony Area and another offensive beatdown is Purchase Line. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Harmony Area came up short against Purchase Line in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, falling 69-56. Will Harmony Area have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
