Basketball Game Preview: Conemaugh Township Indians vs. Cambria Heights Highlanders

The Conemaugh Township Indians will head out to take on the Cambria Heights Highlanders at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Conemaugh Township came up into this matchup off a tough 39-point defeat on Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Purchase Line by a score of 38-36 on Tuesday. The Indians have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Despite the loss, Conemaugh Township saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Danika Black posted six points and 17 rebounds. Those 17 boards set a new season-high mark for Black. The team also got some help courtesy of Mayce Kordell, who had ten points and five steals.

Meanwhile, Cambria Heights came up short against River Valley on Tuesday and fell 47-35. The Highlanders have struggled against the Panthers recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.

Conemaugh Township will need focus on slowing down Sienna Kirsch, one of several Cambria Heights players who made an impact when they last played. She earned seven points along with seven rebounds and four steals. Kirsch has been hot for a while, having posted two or more steals the last 14 times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Gracey Vinglish, who posted 12 points.

Cambria Heights now has a losing record at 2-3. As for Conemaugh Township, they now also have a losing record at 2-3.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Conemaugh Township has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.6 boards per game. However, it's not like Cambria Heights struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.2 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Conemaugh Township came up short against Cambria Heights in their previous matchup back in February, falling 42-33. Can Conemaugh Township avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.