Eagles Hang on to Top Royals, Move to 6-0 in the Landmark
January 21, 2023

Eagles Hang on to Top Royals, Move to 6-0 in the Landmark

Video Box Score

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team continued their winning ways as they hung on to defeat the University of Scranton, 71-65, Saturday afternoon inside of Memorial Gymnasium. 

Tyler Lapetina scored on a floater from the right side of the paint to open the scoring. A few possessions later, Gabe Guidinger caught the ball at the foul line in the middle of the Royal zone and slid a bounce pass to Chase Husted, who dunked the ball. Scranton scored on a layup in transition, and Guidinger and Lapetina found Husted inside for two more layups as JC led 8-2 early. A Lapetina triple from the top of the key pushed the lead to nine as the Eagles came out firing on all cylinders. 

Scranton tried to slowly work their way into the game, but the Eagle offense continued to have success. Kohl Bernarding found Evan Eisenhart for a three from the left wing. Kyle Ruggery stole the ball, raced up the court, and found Eisenhart for a jumper from the right wing to make it 16-6. Several possessions later, Eisenhart caught the ball at the top of the key, pump faked to get his defender in the air before taking one dribble to the side and swishing his second three of the day. On the next offensive possession, Bernarding rifled a pass through the defense with his left hand, and Nick Rigby finished through contact. His foul shot made it 22-8 with 10 to go in the half. 

The Royals went on a 19-6 run over the next seven minutes. They went up on a four-point play as their shooter was fouled while making a three, which put JC behind by two, 28-26. 

In the final seconds of the half, trailing 34-28, Bernarding threw another slick pass with his left hand, this one finding Husted under the hoop for an and-one layup. His foul shot sent Juniata into the locker room trailing by three, 34-31. 

The opening 15 minutes of the second half were tightly contested as neither team led by more than three at any point.

Trailing by one 51-50, Lapetina pump faked to make the defender fly by him before taking a dribble inside the three-point line and swishing a jumper. The Royals committed an offensive foul, and Rigby drew a foul on the other end, where he made both foul shots. Following another stop, Bernarding found Rigby in the heart of Royal zone at the foul line, and he drilled a jumper. Husted made two foul shots; the Eagles got another stop before Lapetina drove down the left side, leaped in the air, and found Husted rolling to the hoop, who flipped the ball in to make it 62-51. 

Scranton scored on the other end after going nearly four minutes without scoring; Mason Hardy wrapped a pass around his defender to Husted, who finished inside again to push the lead to 11. 

Juniata made their foul shots, but the Royals kept hitting threes in the final minute, and after an Eagle turnover, JC fouled a three-point shooter on Scranton, who made all three free throws. Suddenly it was 68-65 with 25 seconds left in the game. The Royals fouled Rigby, who made his foul shots, they missed a three on the other end, and the Eagles escaped with a 71-65 win.  

Juniata outrebounded the Royals by 12, 37-25, and got a lot more production from the Eagle reserves, 25-4. The Eagles also were excellent from the foul line, going 20-22 from the charity stripe.

JC is currently riding a nine-game winning streak and is a spotless 6-0 in Landmark Conference play. 

The Eagles will host Catholic Wednesday at 7:00.