Homer-Center won a close one the last time they played, but unfortunately they suffered a serious change of fortune on Friday. They lost 79-58 to the Portage Mustangs. The loss continues a trend for the Wildcats in their matchups with the Mustangs: they've now lost four in a row.
| 01/10/25 @ Portage | 22 |
| 01/02/25 @ Purchase Line | 21 |
| 12/28/24 @ Ferndale | 20 |
| 12/16/24 vs Apollo Ridge | 20 |
| 12/07/24 vs Summit Academy | 17 |
| 12/06/24 vs Kiski School | 30 |
Homer-Center's loss came despite strong showings from Max Voyda and Nash Budner. Voyda dropped a double-double on 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Budner went 7 for 13 en route to 18 points and eight boards. The game was Voyda's sixth in a row with at least ten points. Ethan Palmer also deserves some recognition as he grabbed his first steal of the season.
Even though they lost, Homer-Center smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Portage only pulled down seven offensive rebounds.
Portage's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Owen Gouse led the charge by going 10 of 17 on his way to 22 points and four steals. With that strong performance, Gouse is now averaging an impressive 15.5 points per game. Another player making a difference was Trae Kargo, who went 8 for 14 from beyond the arc en route to 30 points.
Homer-Center's defeat ended a four-game streak of away wins and brought them to 9-5. As for Portage, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 8-3 record this season.
Homer-Center didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 60-34 loss against Conemaugh Valley on the 14th. Portage has also already played their next game, a 73-61 win against River Valley on the 14th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
