The boys’ basketball team played at home on January 7th against the Curwensville Golden Tide. The Golden Tide entered the fame with a 1-6 record, while the Warriors held an impressive 9-1 record. The game started with a bang, as Dylan McGonigal hit a three-pointer, setting the tone for the rest of the game. After that, the Warriors never looked back, going on an 18-0 scoring run, led by McGonigal sinking four three-pointers. The Warriors closed the first quarter with a commanding 27-12 lead.

The second quarter went the Warriors’ way as well, with the team winning the quarter 22-13. Everyone contributed in the second quarter, with seven different Warriors scoring. Joel Evans led the charge with eight points. Lukas Colton ended the half with a fast break lay-up to beat the buzzer.

To start the second half, the Tide forced two turnovers, but neither resulted in points. West Branch extended its lead to as many as 28 points in the third quarter, though Curwensville had its best quarter with 17 points. Despite this, the Warriors still outscored them 21-17. McGonigal continued to dominate, torching the Tide defense with 11 points in the quarter. The Warriors took a 70-42 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The running clock began late in the fourth quarter. With the game well in hand, the Warriors emptied the bench and cruised to an 84-54 victory.

McGonigal finished the night with 35 points and 11 steals. Former West Branch alumni,  Zach McGonigal commented, “I thought he did excellent. It’s good to see his confidence continue to rise as he scores. His improvement from last season to now is awesome, I’m proud of him.  Owen Koleno also had a stellar performance, contributing 20 points and 11 rebounds. Joel Evans and Easton Emigh each added eight points and Lukas Colton tallied six assists.

The Warriors, now boasting a 10-1 record will face the 3-7 Glendale Vikings on Friday, January 10th.