Eagles Storm Past Warriors

WILKES-BARRE, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team shot an efficient 50.9% on field goals, 47.1% on threes, and 94.7% on free throws en route to a commanding 80-54 victory over Lycoming College on Wednesday night. 

Chase Husted collected his ninth double-double of the season with 24 points and a tie for his season-high with 15 rebounds. He shot 10-for-15 on field goals and converted all four free throws. 

Evan Eisenhart followed with 21 points, going 5-for-7 on 3-pointers and, like Husted, 4-for-4 on free throws. Mason Hardy delivered 11 points, and Gabe Guidinger posted four blocked shots and nine points. Kyle Ruggery led bench points with nine, while he led the Eagles with four assists. 

Neither side found an opening basket for over two minutes, with Lycoming eventually striking first on a jump shot. Three possessions later, the Warriors made it five, securing an errant pass for an open-look three.  

On the next possession, the Eagles got on the board with a hook shot from Husted, while Hardy converted a free throw off a Lycoming technical to make it 5-3. With the Eagles retaining possession, Michael Montecalvo cut in from the left wing, lost his defender, and was fed by Husted for a layup on the right side to tie the game up at five each. 

The Warriors responded back over the next 90 seconds with a swift 6-0 run off three straight jumpers. Juniata just as quickly took their first lead of the day following a Husted layup, an open-look three from Eisenhart on the right side, and a pair of free throws from Eisenhart. Two minutes later, Hardy drew a foul on a successful jump shot and converted his free throw, forcing a Lycoming timeout at 15-11.  

Juniata returned from the break and continued the run with jump shots from Husted and Eisenhart, and yet another Eisenhart three to complete the 17-0 run on the hosts. 

Husted contributed six points, Ruggery four, and Eisenhart drilled another three over the final eight minutes to maintain the 11-point gap at halftime, 37-26. 

The Eagles blew the lead wide open to start the second half, going on a 12-0 run over the first five minutes that included threes from Guidinger and Eisenhart, and it put JC ahead 49-26. They stayed within 20-30 points to the finish of the game with an 80-54 final score. 

The win marks the fourth straight victory for Juniata, and they now sit four games ahead of seventh-place Elizabethtown, needing just one more win to confirm a spot in the Landmark Conference playoffs. 

Juniata returns to action Saturday at 2:00 pm to face Drew.