CENTRE COUNTY — The State College boys basketball team jumped out to an early 9-point lead at Harrisburg on Friday, Dec. 13, but it did not last.
The Cougars crept back in the second quarter and then outscored the Little Lions by 10 points in the last quarter on the way to a 65-53 win over SC.
The loss was the first for the Little Lions this season after three straight wins.
Reed Melvin and Charlie Yartz led SC with 13 points each in the game with Manny Elliott adding 8 and Brady Wagner 6.
The Loss came after State College’s Mid Penn Conference win at home over Altoona, 63-41, on Wednesday, Dec. 11, at home.
The Lions started fast and, led by Yartz’s 17 points and Wagner’s 13, pulled away from the Mountain Lions in the second half.
State College will next see Carlisle at home on Friday, Dec. 20, and then Meadville at home in a nonconference matchup on Friday, Dec. 27.
BEA STILL LOOKING FOR ITS FIRST WIN AFTER AN LHAC LOSS TO HUNTINGDON
Bald Eagle Area came into the Monday, Dec. 16, conference home game against Huntingdon hopeful of breaking its three-game losing streak and claiming its first win.
But the 3-2 Bearcats turned the tables with a 74-53 win over the Bald Eagles.
BEA got off to a slow start in the game, scoring just 7 first quarter points, as the Bearcats built a big, 17-point early lead.
From there, Huntingdon added to its lead and then held on through the second half for the victory.
BEA was led by James Cowen and Wade Habovick with 13 points each, and Kane Wolf was also in double figures with 10.
Habovick led the Eagles with three 3-pointers.
Next up for the Eagles will be an away game at Philipsburg-Osceola on Thursday, Dec. 19, followed by a tournament game against West Branch on Friday, Dec. 27.
SAINT JOSEPH’S ACADEMY STAYS UNBEATEN WITH A CLOSE WIN AT EAST JUNIATA.
The St. Joseph’s WolfPack are now 4-0 after the team went into East Juniata and pulled out a tense, 62-58 victory over the Tigers.
SJCA started fast and took a 9-point first quarter lead that it held until halftime.
EJHS cut the lead to 7 points heading into the final quarter, but baskets by Jayden Stamm and Caleb Foytack down the stretch proved to be the difference as SJCA held on for its fourth win without a loss.
Stamm finished the game with a team-high 21 points, while Foytack added 18 and Chase Luckovich scored 8.
The win kept the WolfPack tied at the top of the Tri-Valley Conference standings with 3-0 Halifax.
Next up for the WolfPack will be a home game against Newport tonight and then an away contest at Philipsburg-Osceola on Friday, Dec. 27.
PENNS VALLEY NOW 2-5 AFTER LOSS TO BISHOP GUILFOYLE
The Penns Valley Rams hung with high-powered Bishop Guilfoyle through three quarters on Monday, Dec. 16, at home, but Guilfoyle had another gear left for the last eight minutes.
BG outscored the Rams 18-8 down the stretch to pull out an 82-61 LHAC Conference victory.
PV went down by 10 points after the first quarter, but the Rams match Guilfoyle through the second and third quarters and entered the final stanza still 10 points down.
But BG didn’t blink and eventually came away with its third win without a loss.
Noah Patel was the high scorer for the Rams with 22 points, while Fletcher Ironside added 11 and Carson Webster scored 9.
PV is not 2-5 overall for the season and 1-4 in the LHAC.
Next up for the Rams will be a home game against Bellwood-Antis tonight followed by another home game against Bedford when the new year begins.
P-O FALLS TO 0-4 AFTER LOSS TO HOLLIDAYSBURG
The Philipsburg-Osceola Mountaineers scored 23 first-half points at home against Hollidaysburg on Monday, Dec. 16, but those points were not enough to keep up with the Golden Tigers.
HHS scored 20 points in each of the first two quarters to take a 40-23 halftime lead, and then the Tigers went on a 26-7 third quarter run to sew up the 84-36 victory.
Hollidaysburg, now 6-0 on the season, nailed nine, 3-point goals in the game, and saw 12 different players score points.
P-O was led by Connor Matier and Zack Meyers with 12 points each and Lucas Peterson with 6.
P-O will next see West Branch away followed by a home game against Bald Eagle Area on Thursday, Dec. 19.
Scoreboard
Thursday, Dec. 12
Tyrone 72, Bellefonte 46
Penns Valley 71, Huntingdon 59
Friday, Dec. 13
SJCA 43, Juniata 42
Harrisburg 65, State College 53
Saturday, Dec. 14
SJCA 62, East Juniata 58
Monday, Dec. 16
Huntingdon 74, BEA 53
Central 68, Bellefonte 61
Bishop Guilfoyle 82, Penns Valley 61
Hollidaysburg 84, P-O 36
