The Penns Manor Comets's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Wednesday after their fourth straight loss. They fell 77-68 to Portage. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Penns Manor in their matchups with Portage: they've now lost five in a row.
When it comes to explaining why Penns Manor lost, one person who can't be blamed is Alex Polenik. Despite the final result, he scored 21 points along with seven rebounds and six assists. Polenik set a new season high mark in steals with four. The team also got some help courtesy of Carter Smith, who scored 21 points along with five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Penns Manor were working as a unit and finished the game with 16 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Portage's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Trae Kargo, who scored 23 points along with six assists and five rebounds. The game was Kargo's third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Owen Gouse, who scored 16 points along with six assists.
Penns Manor bumped their record down to 1-4 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Portage, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 3-0.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Penns Manor will be staying on the road on Friday to face off against Homer-Center at 7:15 p.m. on December 15th. Homer-Center has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. As for Portage, they will head out on the road to face off against Conemaugh Valley at 7:15 p.m. on Friday. Conemaugh Valley has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 447 points over their last six games.
