Eagles Soar Past Bison

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata women's basketball team led for all but 36 seconds of the game as they eased past visiting Bethany College, 57-39, Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium. 

The Bison scored the opening point of the game from the foul line. Juniata scored on their next trip down the floor on a Haily Sherman runner from the right baseline, and JC never trailed again. Steph Emert stole the ball and laid it in on the other end, Sarah Betts converted a pair of foul shots, and the Bison scored again, this time on a layup for their first field goal of the game. Betts scored off a nice feed from Emert, Bethany answered with a three, and Bri Bodtorf scored on a putback to make it 10-6. In the final seconds, Bodtorf struck again, this time on a drive from the top of the key that saw her score with her left to put JC up 12-6 after the first quarter.  

Another Bodtorf putback and the Emert to Betts connection resulted in a Betts three that made it 17-9 in the first three minutes of the second. The Bison got within three at 17-14 before Sherman scored inside off another Emert assist, Kynnedy Miller made a foul shot, and Bodtorf hit a stepback three from the left wing to push the lead back to nine. Bodtorf scored inside and, in the final 15 seconds, made a steal as she intercepted a pass as Bethany tried to score in transition. She hit Miller with a bounce pass on the low block; Miller drove to the baseline and wrapped the ball around her defender to Emma Coolidge, who converted the baseline jumper. The Eagles closed the quarter on a 10-0 run to send JC into the half up 27-14. 

Juniata led by as many as 23 as they cruised through the second half to get the win, 57-39. Juniata had a narrow 49-46 edge on the glass and scored 14 points off Bethany's 24 turnovers. 

The Eagles will return to action on Tuesday when they play at Alvernia at 7:00.