Conemaugh Township and North Star are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2019, but not for long. The Conemaugh Township Indians will head out on the road to take on the North Star Cougars at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. Hopefully Conemaugh Township focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up seven on Friday.
Conemaugh Township unfortunately witnessed the end of their four-game winning streak. They fell just short of River Valley by a score of 45-43. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Conemaugh Township has scored all season.
Despite the defeat, Conemaugh Township saw an underclassman step up: Ethan Matera scored 12 points along with six rebounds and two steals. Matera is on a roll when it comes to blocks, as he's now posted two or more in the last three games he's played. Stephen Stango was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with six steals.
Meanwhile, North Star put the finishing touches on their eighth blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. They claimed a resounding 67-32 victory over Rockwood on the road. North Star pushed the score to 53-21 by the end of the third, a deficit Rockwood had no chance of recovering from.
North Star's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Andy Retassie, who scored 11 points along with eight rebounds and six assists. Retassie is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last five games he's played. Another player making a difference was Ethan Smith, who scored nine points along with five assists and four steals.
Conemaugh Township's loss dropped their record down to 18-4. As for North Star, they are on a roll lately: they've won 11 of their last 14 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Conemaugh Township have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like North Star struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.2 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Conemaugh Township beat North Star 49-38 in their previous meeting back in February of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Conemaugh Township since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
