Basketball Recap: Alex Polenik Leads a Balanced Attack to Beat Cambria Heights

Penns Manor won the last time they faced Cambria Heights and things went their way on Monday too. It was close, but the Penns Manor Comets capped 2024 with a 50-48 victory over the Cambria Heights Highlanders. While the Comets didn't have the best season last year (they finished 7-15), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.

Penns Manor's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Alex Polenik led the charge by dropping a double-double on 13 points and ten boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Amin Lieb, who posted six points in addition to ten boards and six assists.

Despite the loss, Cambria Heights still got an impressive performance from Garrett Jasper, who went 7 of 16 on his way to 16 points along with six rebounds and five steals. Jasper continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Nolan Clawson was another key player, putting up 12 points.

Penns Manor has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 6-4 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 53.0 points per game. As for Cambria Heights, they dropped their record down to 2-8 with the defeat, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season.

Penns Manor wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next game, a 51-45 loss against West Shamokin on the 2nd. As for Cambria Heights, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 58-35 win against Purchase Line on the 8th.