Basketball Game Preview: Shady Side Academy Bulldogs vs. North Star Cougars

The Shady Side Academy Bulldogs are taking a road trip to face off against the North Star Cougars at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. Shady Side Academy will be strutting in after a win while North Star will be coming in after a defeat.

Shady Side Academy is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They were the clear victor by a 67-46 margin over Ellwood City. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bulldogs.

Meanwhile, North Star unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak on Monday. They took a 49-39 hit to the loss column at the hands of McConnellsburg.

Shady Side Academy will need to focus on slowing down Ethan Smith, one of several North Star players who made an impact when they last played. He posted 18 points and six boards. Smith is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in each of the last 21 games he's played. Another player making a difference was Toby Sheehan, who scored seven points in addition to ten rebounds and three blocks.

Shady Side Academy pushed their record up to 12-13 with the victory, which was their third straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 64.7 points over those games. As for North Star, their loss dropped their record down to 20-6.