The Conemaugh Valley Blue Jays came tearing into Thursday's game with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11 points) and they left with even more momentum. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Portage 73-71. Given Conemaugh Valley's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 115th, while Portage is ranked 355th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Leading Conemaugh Valley to victory were Jeremy Dietz and Landon Percinsky. Dietz scored 19 points along with seven rebounds, while Percinsky dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds. Percinsky is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last 12 games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Bryton Yackulich, who scored ten points.
Conemaugh Valley pushed their record up to 16-1 with that win, which was their fifth straight on the road. As for Portage, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 7-6.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Conemaugh Valley will take on Conemaugh Township at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Conemaugh Township has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 927 points over their last 14 games. As for Portage, they will stay at home for another game and welcome Forest Hills at 7:15 p.m. on January 22nd. Hopefully Forest Hills focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 17 on Thursday.
