The Clarion Area Bobcats will wrap up 2024 with a road trip to face off against the Punxsutawney Chucks at 7:45 p.m. on Friday. Clarion Area is coming into the match hot, having won their last five games.
Last Wednesday, Clarion Area strolled past Union with points to spare, taking the game 55-40. Given the Bobcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 198th, while the Knights/Damsels are ranked 575th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Clarion Area got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Derek Smail out in front who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 11 boards. Another player making a difference was Mason Burford, who posted 12 points and eight rebounds.
Clarion Area smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Punxsutawney had to suffer through a 61-31 loss at the hands of Elk County Catholic.
Clarion Area pushed their record up to 5-2 with the victory, which was their third straight on the road. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.0 points per game. As for Punxsutawney, their loss dropped their record down to 2-2.
Clarion Area came up short against Punxsutawney in their previous meeting back in January of 2022, falling 46-37. Can Clarion Area avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
