READING, Pa. – The Juniata College women's basketball team dropped a 77-71 decision to Alvernia University, Tuesday night in Reading, Pa.
Freshman Natalie Glinsky (Indiana, Pa./Indiana) led the Eagles with 18 points, while sophomore Brittany Danel (Stoystown, Pa./North Star) chipped in with 12 points. Alvernia (2-1) was paced by Angela Altimose with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
After 11 lead changes and four ties, Juniata (2-2) trailed by just two points at the half.
Alvernia threatened to pull away early in the second half, but Juniata remained within three of the Crusaders, 49-46, following a three-pointer by Alyssia Gordon (Spring Grove, Pa./Spring Grove) with 12:57 remaining.
The Crusaders answered with a conventional three-point play on Lil Snyder barely a minute later. That launched a 14-3 run by Alvernia, putting the Crusader lead into double-digits at 63-49 with 8:08 showing in the second half. Alvernia's surge was interrupted only by Paige Robertson's (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) trey at the 10:14 mark, briefly cutting the Crusader lead back into single digits at 56-49.
Alvernia's lead reached its widest at 16 points, 73-57, after a pair of Altimose free throws with 3:25 remaining.
Juniata outscored Alvernia 14-4 the rest of the way, but the Eagles simply ran out of clock as time expired on Glinsky's layup that cut the final margin to six points.
The Eagles were also outrebounded, 42-35.
Juniata returns to action on Saturday afternoon, November 28, when it travels to Greensburg, Pa., to face the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg in a 2:00 p.m. tip-off.
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