Pittsburgh, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team extended their unbeaten streak to six games with an 84-63 victory at Carnegie Mellon, Monday evening at Skibo Gym.
Seth Brewer (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) had a career-high 19 points, five assists and three steals. Marcus Lee (Carrolltown, Pa./Bishop Carroll) had 19 points, six rebounds and four steals. Brandon Martinazzi (Cresson, Pa./Bishop Carroll) and Damon Rickens (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) each totaled 12 points and six rebounds. Wil Peralta (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) added seven points and three rebounds.
Brewer got the Eagles on the board with a three-pointer from the top of the key which made the score 3-2 30 seconds into the contest. The offenses continued to feel each other out, and with 11:46 to go in the half, Paul Martello (York, Pa./York Catholic) drained a three off a pass from Noah Neville (Westminster, Md./North Carroll) after some nice ball movement had the Tartan defense scrambling as JC led, 18-14.
With four and a half minutes to go in the half and the score tied at 26-26, Jake Holsopple (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) tipped a rebound out of a Carnegie Mellon player's hand, ran to the loose ball, leapt and grabbed the ball out the air before firing it off of another Tartan player. The ball flew off the player as JC kept possession under their own hoop, and called timeout. Juniata blew the game open with a 18-0 run to close the half.
Coming out of the timeout, Brewer drove from the left wing, and kept the defender on his right hip as he finished with a lefty finger roll off the glass to make it 28-26. On the next offensive possession, Lee caught the ball at the elbow, got his defender in the air with a pump fake, drove past his airborne defender and finished easily with his left hand. Martinazzi hit Marcus Hall (York, Pa./Trinity) for a layup before he sank a short jumper in the lane to make it 34-26.
On the ensuing offensive trip, Hall drew a double team and kicked to a slashing Lee who finished through contact as JC went up 36-26. Brewer drained a three from the left wing, and was able to wrap a pass around a defender to get the ball to Lee who finished easily inside as the Eagles lead went to 41-26.
On the final play of the half, Lee got the ball, again got his man in the air with a pump fake, drove to the hoop and was fouled while making a layup. He swished the foul shot to cap the run as Juniata went into the half with a 44-26 lead.
The second half was evenly played, but the Eagle lead never dipped below 17 as JC cruised to their sixth victory.
Juniata shot a robust 35-61 (57.4%) from the field to Carnegie Mellon's 25-58 (43.1%) and outshot the Tartan's from behind the three-point line, 6-11 (54.5%) to 3-12 (25.0%)
JC returns to action against St. Joseph's in the Doc Greene Tournament, Friday at 7:00.