Eagles Fall to Bearcats in Home Opener

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata women's basketball team hosted St. Vincent on Tuesday night to begin their 2021-22 season. The Eagles could not quite complete the comeback as they lost, 75-63. 

The Eagles started slowly in the first quarter but began to heat up in the second. They outscored the Bobcats by nine points with help from Kynnedy Miller (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon Area HS) who drained back-to-back three-pointers paired with a Haily Sherman (Marysville, Pa. / Susquenita High School) first-half buzzer-beater to make the score 36-29, at the break. 

Once the second half began, Juniata was consistently playing catch up with a ten-point deficit to fight against. Grace Long (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) and Averie Hess (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore) both went three for four in the second half with Long scoring all of her 13 points in the second half to keep the Eagles within striking distance.

Trailing by 14 with five and half minutes to go in the contest, Juniata got to work. Long drilled a three off of a pass from Miller, three Hess foul shots would eventually make it 65-57 with Long splitting a pair to get JC within seven. Sherman scored inside with two and half minutes remaining to bring the Eagles within five, but they could not get any closer the rest of the way.

Sherman had a big day for the Eagles as she put up 18 points and 13 rebounds in her debut. Her 18 points are the most by an Eagle in their first career game since at least 2010.

The Juniata women's basketball team will be back out on the court Saturday, November 13th, as they take on Pitt. -Bradford, scheduled for a 2:00 pm tip-off.