Blazers Top Eagles

WESTMINSTER, Md. - The Juniata women's basketball team fought hard but ultimately lost to Hood College in the consolation game of the Rebecca Martin Memorial Tip-Off Saturday afternoon inside the Gill Center. 

Buckets from Kynnedy Miller and Bri Bodtorf put the Eagles up 4-2 in the first three minutes of the quarter. The teams traded makes, with Juniata getting jumpers from Olivia Berg and Emma Coolidge. In the final 13 seconds of the quarter, Berg found Haily Sherman, who had beaten everyone down the floor, and laid it in. JC trailed by one at the end of the first, 13-12. 

Emily McCann converted two foul shots early in the second quarter to give JC the lead back. After a Blazer make, McCann drilled a three off a pass from Sarah Betts. Later, another triple by Bodtorf and a Betts jumper put the Eagles up 22-20. The teams traded the lead back and forth down the stretch of the final few minutes. Miller found Betts for a jumper, Steph Emert followed with a midrange jumper, and finally, Sherman swished a two to put JC up 32-27 with a little over a minute to play. Three foul shots from the Blazers cut the Eagle lead to two heading into halftime.  

The third quarter was an even one, as both teams tallied 12 points. The Blazers managed to eek ahead 42-40 in the final minute before makes from Coolidge and Emert gave Juniata the lead back heading into the last quarter.  

Juniata managed to keep ahold of their lead for the first half of the fourth, with a pair of Miller foul shots pushing the lead back to three with five minutes to go. A made free throw, an offensive rebound, and then two made foul shots put Hood ahead 57-55 with three to play. A Sherman jumper made it 59-57, but those were the final points the Eagles would score as Hood closed the game on a 6-0 run.  

Emert led the way for the Eagles with 11 points and four rebounds, while Sherman tallied 8 points, seven rebounds, and three steals. Miller amassed eight points, four rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Bodtorf totaled 10 points, seven rebounds, an assist, two steals, and one block.

Bodtorf was named to the all-tournament team for JC.  

Juniata returns home, where they will host Rowan for their first home game of the season Saturday at 2:00.