Kocak Leads Eagles Past Elizabethtown

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team picked up a 79-71 win over Elizabethtown, their second straight win, Wednesday evening inside Memorial Gymnasium. 

Ty Kocak led the way with 24 points, three rebounds and a steal. Jayden Bilger added 12 points, nine rebounds, two steals and an assist while Ayden Hurley added 10 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal. Malcolm Griffith had 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and a rebound. Tre Yawn added 11 points, six assists, a steal and a block. 

Griffith found Bilger down low for layup for Juniata's first points of the game. Hurley swished a leaning jumper along the baseline and followed that with a three. The teams traded buckets, with Hurley finding Griffith wide open underneath to make it 13-13 early. 

The rest of the first half was a fast and furious back and forth, with a Griffith jump shot off another Bilger pass handed the JC a 37-35 lead at the half. 

The Eagles shot 45.5% from the floor while the Blue Jays were 54.5%. 

The second half was just as tight as the first, with the Blue Jays retaking the lead, 54-53, on a pair of foul shots with just over eight minutes to go in the game. Bilger scored inside, and Yawn found Hurley for a three from the right wing. The sophomore guard from Largo, Maryland turned defense into offense, stealing the ball and going the other way before finishing in traffic. 

The Eagles pushed the lead to as many as 11, as Kocak hit a pullup jumper in the paint with two minutes to play. Etown got as close as five, but the Eagles took care of business down the stretch to close the win. 

Juniata had a 37-31 advantage on the glass, and a 19-9 advantage in points in the paint. 

JC will travel to take on Moravian, Saturday at 2:00.