The Miracle at Memorial - Men's Basketball Advances to ECAC Championship in 2OT Thriller Over PSU Behrend
HUNTINGDON, Pa.- Tyler Lapetina's three at the buzzer in regulation kept the Eagle's season alive, and they won in double overtime against Penn State Behrend, 93-86, Sunday afternoon in a lively Memorial Gymnasium to advance to the ECAC Championship game.
LAPETINA FOR THREE
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) March 3, 2024
Down three with two seconds to play, Tyler Lapetina's right wing splash at the buzzer leveled today's ECAC Semifinal against Penn State Behrend at 65-65 before @JuniataBSKB won in double OT 93-86#WingsUp #GoEagles #TakingFlight #d3hoops pic.twitter.com/C6XWw68EWS
Husted had a monster game as he had a career-high 37 points, to go with 14 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a career-high five blocks. Tyler Lapetina tallied 22 points, five rebounds, an assist, and a block. Mason Hardy totaled 10 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, while Gabe Guidinger had 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
To start overtime, after Husted won the tap, Hardy took a pass along the baseline and finished on the left side of the hoop. The Lions answered with a three from the right wing before Lapetina drove in and finished in heavy traffic with the left hand. After a stop, Husted had the ball on the left block and found Guidinger cutting to the hoop, who laid it in off the glass for two.
Back-to-back threes from the Lions had them up two, but Hardy fired a laser of a pass between three Lion defenders to Husted for a layup to knot things at 74 with two to go. Hardy and Husted executed a pick and roll as Hardy found Husted rolling to the bucket for an easy layup, and the Lions answered two possessions later in transition off a loose ball to tie things up. The teams were tied at 76 as Hardy's jumper at the buzzer was slightly off, so they went on to a second overtime.
Two Lapetina foul shots and one from Guidinger gave JC the lead, but a right corner three from Behrend tied it at 79. Lapetina splashed a three from the top of the key, the Lions answered from the right wing, and Husted utilized nifty footwork to score down low. After a turnover, Guidinger lobbed it over to Husted for another layup as JC led by four. Juniata forced another turnover on defense, proceeding a Lion timeout. Michael Montecalvo splashed a three from the right wing as the Eagle lead extended to seven with just over a minute to go. Behrend got as close as three in the final two seconds, but JC made their foul shots down the stretch to get the win.
Regulation was tight throughout, with the Lions leading by 11 midway through the second half, but the Eagles cut that down to three within two minutes.
In the final seconds to get to Lapetina's shot, Hardy went the length of the floor down four and laid the ball in. JC fouled on the inbound, and Behrend split the foul shots to set up the play.
Juniata dominated inside, scoring 42 points in the paint to the visitors 16, but the Lions scored 16 threes to the Eagles seven.
JC will take on Alvernia next weekend in the ECAC Championship.