Juniata Falls in Well-Fought 76-70 Loss to Moravian on Senior Day
February 11, 2017

Juniata Falls in Well-Fought 76-70 Loss to Moravian on Senior Day

Coming down to the final seconds of the game, the Eagles lost 76-70 to Moravian on senior day.

Video Box Score

Huntingdon, Pa. - Coming down to the final seconds of the game, the Eagles lost 76-70 to Moravian on senior day. Senior Katy Leamer marked a double-double on her final game in Memorial Gym. Three other Eagles tallied double-figures at the net.

Bethany Spencer (York, Pa./York Suburban) accounted for Juniata's first five points. Her three-pointer three minutes into the game cut Moravian's early 6-2 lead to 6-5. 

Juniata let up 13 points, in part to two turnovers, three fouls and four missed shots. Juniata's offense was held scoreless until Bri Wasser (Ebensburg, Pa./Central Cambria) hit a three from the corner, making the score 19-7. Rachael Anstine (York, Pa./Dallastown) was fouled under the basket and she tacked on one more for JC.

Anstine answered a Moravian layup with one of her own. Juniata got a stop on the other end and Morgan Instone (Johnstown, Pa./Bishop McCort) capitalized on the next possession. Instone's put-back cut the score to 21-12. The Greyhounds tacked on two more, but Dani Atkinson (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Catholic) kept the JC lead at nine with her first bucket of the day.

In the final 30 seconds of the quarter, Atkinson drew a foul and made one of her two shots at the line. Instone created another opportunity for the Eagles' in the final ten seconds; Katy Leamer (Altoona, Pa./Bellwood-Antis) sunk a three-pointer. 

Down 26-18 at the beginning of the second quarter, Atkinson kept the momentum going with a steal and break away on the first play of the second quarter. After her layup, the Greyhounds pulled ahead 29-20 with a layup and a free throw.

Spencer cut the lead to six once again with a three at the top of the key.

Atkinson began a 9-1 JC run with a three-pointer after a Greyhound layup. Atkinson led the charge with her three and a coast-to-coast play. Katy Leamer's three put the Eagles ahead 33-32 for the first time in the game.

A pair of free throws and a Moravian layup helped it regain the lead with two minutes left in the half. Juniata kept the Greyhounds quiet, as they only added on one more with a free throw in the final two seconds of the half.

With Moravian leading the Eagles 37-33 at the start of the second half, Katy Leamer's layup started the scoring and put JC within two points of the Greyhounds. After two stops under Moravian's basket, senior Sarah Sherman (Lansdale, Pa./Methacton) tied the game at 37 with a layup.

The visitors were on an undisputed six-point run until Veronica Cosmopolis' (Lima, Peru/Colegio Carmelitas) layup off of Instone's offensive rebound. Wasser then retaliated a pair of free throws with a jumper to stay within four points. The Eagles forced a turnover and Atkinson capitalized with a layup. The junior answered kept JC within two with two answering layups.

Down 49-47, Katy Leamer completed a three-point play, as she was fouled on a put-back. Her free throw put the Eagles ahead 50-49. A 5-3 Moravian run in the final minute of the quarter put the Greyhounds ahead 54-53 at the start of the final quarter of play.

Wasser started the fourth quarter with a steal under the Moravian basket. Anstine dropped in the layup on the other end of the coast-to-coast play to put the Eagles ahead. However, the Greyhounds took a 63-56 lead with nine straight points from Moravian's leading-scorer Camille McPherson.

A 9-5 JC run, backed by Anstine's seven points and Katy Leamer's layup, put the Eagles within five points of the Greyhounds with a minute and a half left to play.

Katy Leamer drew a foul to keep the ball on Juniata's end. Wasser knocked down a jumper and the Eagles were down 70-67 with less than a minute left. A pair of Moravian free throws put the Greyhounds up four, but Cosmopolis drew a foul and made one of her shots at the line.
With 11 seconds left on the clock, Atkinson chucked a long pass down to Wasser under the basket and she finished with a layup. The Eagles fouled a Greyhound and she made both at the line. The score 74-70, JC had the ball with four seconds left.

Juniata committed a turnover on the inbound pass and Moravian won the game 76-70.

Now 9-14, the Eagles will be traveling to Goucher on Wednesday, Feb. 15.