Eagles Top Mounties in Season Home Opener

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team opened the 2025-26 season with an 80-63 win over Mount Aloysius, Friday evening inside Memorial Gymnasium.

Ty Kocak tallied 16 points, five rebounds, three assists, and a block, while Joe Bruce added 16 points, a rebound, an assist, and a steal. Jayden Bilger contributed 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block. Malcolm Griffith totaled 12 points, eight rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal. 

Bilger scored the first two points of the game from the line and scored inside fifteen seconds later to double the lead. Bilger continued to cook, drilling a jumper. Kocak dished it to Jaiden Aze for a layup, and Juniata jumped ahead 8-0 in the first four minutes. 

The Mounties found their footing, as a deep three pulled them within two, 12-10. 

Bruce started to get hot from behind the line, canning three triples over a several-minute span, with the final on a Tre Yawn assist, making it 30-18 with six to play. 

A pair of Bruce free throws sent the Eagles into the locker room up by 13, 41-28 at the half. 

Juniata shot 53.6% from the field and forced nine turnovers from the Mounties. 

The second half was tighter overall, but Juniata kept the visitors at bay as their lead never dropped below 10, and grew to as much as 24. 

Juniata dominated in the paint, scoring 38 points inside. They also had an 18-4 advantage in second-chance points and scored 21 points off Mounties' miscues. 

Juniata will travel to play at Westminster on Tuesday at 7:00.