North Star is 0-3 against Forest Hills since December of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The North Star Cougars will head out on the road to square off against the Forest Hills Rangers at 7:15 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
North Star unfortunately witnessed the end of their six-game winning streak on Tuesday. They had to suffer through a rough 97-60 loss at the hands of Berlin Brothersvalley. While losing is never fun, North Star can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 225th, while Berlin Brothersvalley is ranked 82nd).
Despite their loss, North Star saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Ethan Smith, who scored 14 points along with six assists and five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Smith is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last four games he's played. Another player making a difference was Brady Weimer, who scored 20 points.
Even though Forest Hills has not done well against Penn Cambria recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Forest Hills enjoyed a cozy 74-59 win over Penn Cambria. The win made it back-to-back wins for Forest Hills.
Forest Hills' win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Dylan Stohon, who scored 19 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Stohon has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last three times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Koy McGough, who scored 14 points along with four steals.
North Star's loss dropped their record down to 10-3. As for Forest Hills, their win bumped their record up to 9-3.
Thursday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy match: North Star have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 29.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Forest Hills, though, as they've been averaging only 29.9 rebounds per game. Given North Star's sizeable advantage in that area, Forest Hills will need to find a way to close that gap.
North Star came up short against Forest Hills when the teams last played back in February of 2023, falling 59-49. Can North Star avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
