The Notre Dame-Green Pond Crusaders pushed their score all the way to 59 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They took a 70-59 hit to the loss column at the hands of State College. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as Notre Dame-Green Pond came into the matchup with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 81st, while State College is ranked 246th).
State College's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Luke Torbic, who scored 24 points along with five assists and three steals. Those five assists set a new season-high mark for him. Reed Melvin was another key contributor, scoring 19 points along with six rebounds.
This is the second loss in a row for Notre Dame-Green Pond and nudges their season record down to 8-2. As for State College, the win got them back to even at 4-4.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Notre Dame-Green Pond will take on Moravian Academy at 6:45 p.m. on Thursday. Moravian Academy is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak. As for State College, they will stay at home for another game and welcome Carlisle at 7:30 p.m. on January 3, 2024. Carlisle is coming into the contest hot, having won their last three games.
