Basketball Game Preview: State College Little Lions vs. McDowell Trojans

The State College Little Lions will welcome the McDowell Trojans at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. State College is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53 points per game this season.

Last Friday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, State College beat Mifflin County 44-40. Given the Little Lions' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 139th in Pennsylvania, while the Huskies are ranked 331st in Pennsylvania), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Charlie Yartz

Steals

02/21/25 vs Mifflin County	4
01/22/25 vs Central Dauphin East	3
12/17/24 @ Central Dauphin East	3
12/07/24 vs Dock Mennonite	3
02/03/25 vs Central York	2
+ 10 more games

Charlie Yartz was his usual excellent self, almost dropping a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds. He also grabbed four steals, which is notable because State College is 3-1 when he posts at least three steals, but 7-11 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Nick Carr, who posted four points and six boards.

Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only McDowell walked away with it. They blew past the Dragons, posting a 72-39 victory. The Trojans have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 16 contests by 21 points or more this season.

McDowell pushed their record up to 20-4 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.4 points over those games. As for State College, their victory bumped their record up to 10-12.

State College came out on top in a nail-biter against McDowell in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, sneaking past 48-46. Will State College repeat their success, or does McDowell have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.