The Laurel Highlands Mustangs's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their eighth straight loss. They had to suffer through a rough 81-52 loss at the hands of Belle Vernon. While losing is never fun, Laurel Highlands can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 535th, while Belle Vernon is ranked 112th).
When it comes to explaining why Laurel Highlands lost, one person who can't be blamed is Ethan Koffler. Despite the final result, he scored 17 points. Brennen Varney was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
Laurel Highlands' loss was their fourth straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 2-11. That rough patch can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 57.0 points per game. As for Belle Vernon, their win bumped their record up to 7-2.
Laurel Highlands will be playing at home against Southmoreland at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Southmoreland knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past 12 matchups -- so hopefully Laurel Highlands likes a good challenge. As for Belle Vernon, they will head out on the road to face off against Albert Gallatin at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hopefully Albert Gallatin focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 23 on Friday.
