After losing to the Conemaugh Valley Blue Jays the last time they met, the River Valley Panthers decided to demonstrate that turnabout is fair play. River Valley had just enough and edged Conemaugh Valley out 50-47. That's two games straight that River Valley has won by exactly three points.
River Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Brad McDivitt led the charge by dropping a double-double on 15 points and 11 rebounds. It was the first time this season that McDivitt scored 15 or more points. The team also got some help courtesy of Dom Speal, who scored 13 points along with six rebounds and two steals.
Several Blue Jays players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jeremy Dietz, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds. Dietz is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last 14 games he's played. Another player making a difference was Bryton Yackulich, who scored 12 points.
Conemaugh Valley struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
River Valley pushed their record up to 16-6 with that win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.0 points per game. As for Conemaugh Valley, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 18-4.
River Valley will take on Conemaugh Township at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. Conemaugh Township will roll in looking for their fifth straight victory, something River Valley surely won't give up without a fight. Conemaugh Valley is on the road again on Tuesday and plays Ferndale at 6:00 p.m. on February 13th.
