The Port Allegany Gators entered their tilt with the Smethport Hubbers with two consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with three. Port Allegany managed a 44-39 win over Smethport on Friday. Given Port Allegany's advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 219th, while Smethport is ranked 567th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Kayleigha Dowell continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 21 points along with five steals. That makes it four consecutive games in which she has scored at least 25% of Port Allegany's points. Ella Moses was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with six steals.
Smethport's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Elizabeth Hungiville, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 13 rebounds. The game was Hungiville's third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jaidyn Goodman, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Port Allegany's win bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Smethport, they bumped their record down to 2-8 with that loss, which was their ninth straight on the road dating back to last season.
Port Allegany and Randolph will round out the year against one another at 4:15 p.m. on Friday at. Smethport will finish 2023 at home by hosting Otto-Eldred at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Otto-Eldred will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak.
