Basketball Recap: West Branch Extends Home Winning Streak to 17

West Branch extended their home winning streak to 17 games dating back to last season thanks to a huge performance from Owen Koleno. The West Branch Warriors put the hurt on the Philipsburg-Osceola Mountaineers with a sharp 80-56 victory on Wednesday thanks in part to Koleno, who dropped a double-double on 27 points and 12 rebounds. The contest was his eighth in a row with at least ten points.

Another player making a difference was Joel Evans, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 12 rebounds. He is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last four games he's played.

West Branch's win bumped their record up to 6-1. As for Philipsburg-Osceola, they are on a nine-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-5.

West Branch and Juniata Valley will compete for holiday cheer at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in West Branch's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points every time they've taken the court this season. As for Philipsburg-Osceola, they won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Bald Eagle Area at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Philipsburg-Osceola is facing Bald Eagle Area at the right time seeing as Bald Eagle Area is stuck on a five-game losing streak.