West Branch extended their losing streak to five on Friday, dropping them down to 3-12. They received a blow as they fell 62-43 to the Juniata Valley Hornets. While losing is never fun, the Warriors can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 673rd, while the Hornets are ranked 305th).
Despite the loss, West Branch still got an impressive performance from Dylan McGonigal, who posted 19 points and seven rebounds. That was a full 44.2% of the Warriors' points, marking the seventh time in a row McGonigal has earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Caleb Hudson, who put up eight points and six boards.
As for Juniata Valley, they pushed their record up to 14-3 with the victory, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. The home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.7 points over those games.
Juniata Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jett Rand led the charge by dropping a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Kyler Spurlin, who had 17 points and six boards.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming matchups. West Branch will head out to face off against Glendale at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Juniata Valley, they will venture away from home to take on Southern Huntingdon County at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The Hornets will be up against the Rockets' rather soft defense (which has allowed 51.07 points per game), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
