The Conestoga Cougars will look to defend their home court on Tuesday against the Palmyra Panthers at 7:30 p.m. The timing is sure in Conestoga's favor as the squad sits on six straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Palmyra has been banged up by five consecutive losses on the road.
Conestoga scored the most points they've had all season to find success last Saturday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer 69-24 at home. Conestoga has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three matchups by 27 points or more this season.
Conestoga relied on the efforts of Zachariah Smith, who scored 12 points along with nine rebounds and three steals, and Owen Trofholz, who scored 25 points along with six assists and five rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Trofholz has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Mason Merwald, who scored seven points along with three steals.
Palmyra suffered their biggest defeat yet this season last Friday. They took a serious blow against Auburn, falling 69-33. The defeat unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for Palmyra in their matchups with Auburn: they've now lost six in a row.
Despite the defeat, Palmyra got a solid performance out of Drew Erhart, who scored 20 points along with two blocks. Gou Kamishita was another key contributor, scoring five points.
Conestoga's victory bumped their record up to 8-1. As for Palmyra, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-9.
Tuesday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Conestoga have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 30.3 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Palmyra, though, as they've been averaging only 21 rebounds per game. Given Conestoga's sizeable advantage in that area, Palmyra will need to find a way to close that gap.
Conestoga lost to Palmyra at home by a decisive 59-43 margin when the teams last played back in January of 2023. Thankfully for Conestoga, Zach Fitzpatrick (who scored 28 points) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
