Eagles Fall to Wildcats on First Day of Holiday Classic

HUNTINGDON, Pa.-The Juniata women's basketball team fell to the SUNY Poly Wildcats, 66-55, Friday evening in Memorial Gymnasium on the first day of the Juniata College Holiday Classic sponsored by Comfort Inn. 

The Wildcats scored the opening four points of the period before Kaeana Rebert (Hanover, Pa. / South Western) drilled a three from the right wing to put the eagles on the board. SUNY Poly scored inside but the Eagles countered quickly. Cassie Mock (Martinsburg, Pa. / Central Martinsburg) quickly went up the floor and tossed it ahead to a sprinting Gracie Stauffer (Loysville, Pa. / West Perry).The sophomore center gathered and went up strong, laying it in off the glass to make it 6-5. Stauffer scored on a put back and sunk a pair of free throws to keep the Eagles within one, 10-9. Megan Haines (Bloomsburg, Pa. / Bloomsburg) found Stauffer down low for another layup to give the Eagles their first lead at 11-10. The Wildcats retook the lead and went up 14-11 before another Stauffer layup off another Mock assist brought JC within one with a little over a minute left in the first period. The pair teamed up again as Mock found Stauffer for a layup right at the buzzer as the Eagles trailed 16-15 after one.  

Madison Colyer (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) had a nice interior pass to Mock for a layup to open the second quarter scoring for the Eagles. Colyer drilled a jumper and Grace Long (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) scored inside over the first four minutes as the Eagles stayed close with the Wildcats. The teams traded buckets for most of the quarter as Juniata never let the deficit grow larger than four. Larissa Leonard (Three Springs, Pa. / Southern Huntingdon) split a pair of foul shots inside of 10 seconds to send the Eagles into the locker room down one, 28-27, at halftime. 

Stauffer found Long for a midrange jumper, Mock found Colyer for a lay-in, Mock scored inside before she turned provider again, finding Long for another layup as the Eagles went up 37-32 in the first three and half minutes. A 13-0 run by the Wildcats over the next few minutes put the Eagles down nine. Rebert drilled a three in the right corner to pull JC within six. An and-one by SUNY Poly sent them into the fourth ahead by nine, 49-40.  

Juniata couldn't close the gap in the fourth as they wound up losing 66-55. 

The Eagles held a 51-41 edge on the glass, but couldn't overcome their 34 turnovers. 

Juniata will play Rosemont tomorrow at 4:00.