HOUTZDALE — The 2011-2012 season for the Curwensville Golden Tide has not been one to put into the record books. Coaching changes, young talent and a tough schedule made for a long year.
That season came to a close Wednesday night as the Tide made the trip to Houtzdale to face the home-standing Moshannon Valley Black Knights, who honored the senior stars on their team before tip-off. Last week, Curwensville was on the better side of the scoreboard, defeating the Black Knights 49-38, one of their three wins this season.
Hoping to end the season on a positive note and look to the off-season, Curwensville came out firing, and never let up. After getting out to a 10-0 run to start the game, the Tide held on for their most complete game of the season, defeating Mo Valley for the second time in a week by a final of 52-34.
The Tide had their best overall performance as a team, with four players getting into double digits. Alex Olson led Curwensville in scoring, putting down 12 points and four rebounds. He also led the team in assists with seven.
At the same time, both Brett Gardner and Tanner Elensky added 11 points each, and Austin Jacobson added 10 points, adding in a double-double as he added 12 boards on the night. Kyle Johns was also aggressive at the basket, bringing down nine rebounds.
“We were tentative in the first half on the boards, but we challenged Tanner at halftime and he was real aggressive that second half,” head coach Shane Pentz said afterward. “We beat Mo Valley by 11 at home last week, but this week was a more complete game for us.”
Moshannon Valley only had one player in double figures, Joel Martin, as he put down 14 points. The Black Knights found themselves on the defensive early in the game, as they did not score the first point in the game until a minute left in the first quarter. Johnny Stevens led in rebounds with seven, while Derek Southern added five assists.
At the end of the night, Pentz was excited not just for the victory, but what his team had to look forward to over the summer leading into next season.
“We’ve got a young team of mostly sophomores, but I couldn’t be more happy with those nine guys in the locker room. They stuck with the program and are the future of the team,” Pentz said. “We have some summer camps planned and more workouts, so I’m ready to see what next year will bring.”
Curwensville ended the 2011-2012 season with a final record of 4-17.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Curwensville 10 14 16 12 – 52
Mo Valley 1 14 5 14 – 34
Curwensville 52
Stephenson 0 1-2 1, Gardner 4 1-2 11, Kurtz 0 0-0 0, Johns 1 2-2 4, Shaffer 1 1-2 3, Elensky 3 2-2 11, Olson 3 6-10 12, Jacobson 4 2-3 10, London 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 15-23 52
Moshannon Valley 34
McHugh 2 0-0 4, Southern 1 1-1 3, Jarrett 2 0-0 5, Stevens 3 0-0 6, Krupa 0 0-0 0, Martin 5 2-4 14, McMahon 0 0-0 0, Bubb 0 1-2 1, Bailey 0 0-0 0, Harlow 0 1-2 1. Totals 13 5-9 34
Field Goals Made/Attempted: CV-16/52 MV-13/61
Team Rebounds: CV-36 MV-25
Team Fouls: CV-14 MV-22
Turnovers: CV-17 MV-15
Three-Point Shots: CV-Gardner (2), Elensky (3); MV-Jarrett, Martin (2)
Final Golden Tide Scoreboard:
| Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 12/13 | BROCKWAY | 31 – 73 | 0 – 1 |
| 12/16 | @ Ridgway | 21 – 60 | 0 – 2 |
| 12/22 | @ Harmony | 28 – 40 | 0 – 3 |
| 12/28 | @ Punxsutawney | 20 – 50 | 0 – 4 |
| 12/30 | @ Glendale | 29 – 62 | 0 – 5 |
| 01/04 | @ Kane | 51 – 43 | 1 – 5 |
| 01/06 | DUBOIS CENTRAL | 26 – 72 | 1 – 6 |
| 01/10 | @ Johnsonburg | 23 – 60 | 1 – 7 |
| 01/13 | HARMONY | ppd. | 1 – 7 |
| 01/17 | @ Elk County Catholic | 36 – 51 | 1 – 8 |
| 01/20 | WEST BRANCH | 40 – 63 | 1 – 9 |
| 01/24 | RIDGWAY | 28 – 60 | 1 – 10 |
| 01/27 | @ Brockway | 37 – 59 | 1 – 11 |
| 01/30 | @ DuBois Central | 41 – 65 | 1 – 12 |
| 02/01 | GLENDALE | 32 – 69 | 1 – 13 |
| 02/03 | JOHNSONBURG | 28 – 55 | 1 – 14 |
| 02/06 | HARMONY | 55 – 43 | 2 – 14 |
| 02/07 | @ Sheffield | 41 – 77 | 2 – 15 |
| 02/08 | MO VALLEY | 49 – 38 | 3 – 15 |
| 02/10 | KANE | 48 – 50 | 3 – 16 |
| 02/13 | @ West Branch | 25 – 63 | 3 – 17 |
| 02/15 | @ Mo Valley | 52 – 34 | 4 – 17 |