MADISON, N.J.- The Juniata men's basketball team avenged a home loss to Drew earlier in the season, holding off a Rangers comeback 85-81, extending the current winning streak to five.
Evan Eisenhart dropped a season-high 25 points, including 5-9 three-pointers converted and eight rebounds to lead the Juniata offensive effort.
Chase Husted contributed 23 points with a 75.0% field goal percentage and eight rebounds, while Gabe Guidinger contributed a trio of threes en route to 15 points and three steals. Mason Hardy provided six assists, three steals, and six points, while Ty Kocak marked the day with eight points alongside a pair of steals and assists.
The Rangers struck first with a layup and pair of free throws in the first couple minutes, before a Hardy steal. He turned provider as he found Guidinger to get Juniata on the board. Drew promptly responded with back-to-back threes, with the Eagles using a timeout following the second to recoup.
The Eagles came back from the break with a 10-2 run that featured a Guidinger three and layups from Kocak, Husted, and Michael Montecalvo that gave them the lead eight minutes into the contest, 12-11.
Yet again, though, Drew swiftly built a gap as they got three consecutive threes to fall to draw a 20-12 lead, and Juniata again called timeout.
Drew returned from the timeout with a layup and a three, split by a Husted layup to go up 25-14. From there, Juniata went on a 16-0 run to the halftime break. The run started with a pair of Eisenhart free throws via a Rangers technical; then Hardy passed back to Eisenhart with space on the right wing for a three to get back to 25-19.
Husted provided another layup followed by another Hardy-to-Eisenhart three-point connection, this time on the left side from deep, to get within one. A possession later, Husted at the top of the key passes left to Eisenhart for another three for the lead. Off the Drew inbounds, Kade Anzulavich stole a short-range pass at midcourt and thundered an uncontested dunk to send the Eagles bench into a frenzy. A mid-range jump shot from Eisenhart ended the scoring in the first at 31-25.
Juniata returned from the break with a Guidinger right-side three and a pair of Husted free throws, followed by a couple of threes from the Rangers to stay within five at 36-31. Momentum soon shifted their way as they went on a 7-2 run, getting level on a right-wing three.
Eisenhart retook the lead with a hook shot off his drive from the left wing, but an open-look Rangers three followed to get them back ahead by a point. Eisenhart answered back with a three of his own on the left wing.
Anzulavich beat his man on the break a possession later to get Juniata ahead 47-42, and a gap of around half-a-dozen points was held for much of the middle of the second half, with Juniata weathering high pressing off inbounding the ball for much of the half.
With around a minute to go, Drew got the momentum going back in their favor with a pair of converted free throws followed by a successful press that earned them a steal and a foul draw, driving into the paint for two more free throws to get within four points with 30 seconds left.
Husted converted 1 of 2 free throws, giving Drew 36 seconds to find five points at minimum. The Rangers won the ball off the glass on two three-pointers before finding a layup with three seconds left. They called timeout but could only foul Hardy on the inbounds. He provided one of two free throws to confirm the win for the Eagles at 85-81.
Juniata will look for six straight wins and to snap a double-digit win streak when they host top-of-conference #15 Catholic on Wednesday night at 7:00 pm.
