The Conemaugh Valley Blue Jays came tearing into Thursday's match with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11 points) and they left with even more momentum. They had just enough and edged Portage out 73-71. Given Conemaugh Valley's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 115th, while Portage is ranked 355th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Leading Conemaugh Valley to victory were Jeremy Dietz and Landon Percinsky. Dietz scored 19 points along with seven rebounds, while Percinsky dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds. Percinsky is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down eight or more in the last 12 games he's played. Bryton Yackulich was another key contributor, scoring ten points.
Several Mustangs players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Owen Gouse, who scored 19 points along with five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Bode Layo, who scored 20 points along with seven rebounds and two blocks.
Even though they lost, Portage were working as a unit and finished the game with 18 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Conemaugh Valley only racked up eight assists.
Conemaugh Valley pushed their record up to 16-1 with that victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. As for Portage, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 7-6.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Conemaugh Valley will take on Conemaugh Township at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. One thing working in Conemaugh Township's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last 14 contests. As for Portage, they will stay at home for another game and welcome Forest Hills at 7:15 p.m. on January 22nd. Hopefully Forest Hills focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 17 on Thursday.
