Another 20-point outing by Sekulski helps Juniata to a 69-55 victory over Saint Vincent

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College men's basketball outshot visiting Saint Vincent College in the first half and survived some early foul trouble in the second on its way to a 69-55 win over the Bearcats, Saturday afternoon at the Kennedy Sports + Recreation Center.

Juniata remained undefeated at 5-0 with the win, giving the Eagles their best start since going 5-0 to open the 2001-02 campaign – head coach Greg Curley's first season in Huntingdon.

Senior Dan Sekulski (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) led the Eagles with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the field with an 8-of-13 mark at the free-throw line, and hauled in eight rebounds. Junior Alex Raymond (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Altoona Area) was the only other Juniata player in double figures with 10 points, while dishing out four assists. Kevin Stapleton (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) paced the Eagles on the boards with nine rebounds. 

14 of the 15 players on the Juniata roster got into Saturday's game, as the Eagles picked up 19 points from their reserves.

Juniata jumped out to a 39-25 halftime lead behind a 41.4% shooting (12-29) from the field, while defensively holding Saint Vincent (3-1) to a 30.0% clip from the floor. The Eagles picked up five points over the final two-and-a-half minutes of the opening stanza, including a layup and a pair of foul shots by Sekulski.

The Eagles maintained their double-digit lead throughout most of the second half, briefly seeing their lead cut to less than 10 points following back-to-back 3-pointers and a pair of free throws by leading scorer Dennis Bassich with 10:33 remaining.

Fouls by the Bearcats' Nic Martin and Ralph Nin sent Raymond and Stapleton to the line, where both players converted both attempts to extend Juniata's lead to 12 points, 55-43, by the 10:08 mark.  The Eagles cruised to the win from there, never allowing the Bearcats to get within 12.

Bassich and Tauvon Pettiford led Saint Vincent with 13 points each, while Isaac Turner netted 11 points in the losing effort.  Armani Fountain had seven rebounds for the Bearcats, who were outrebounded, 48-34.

Juniata returns to action on Monday night, when the Eagles travel to Carlisle, Pa., to face Dickinson College.  Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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