HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Junior Kate McDonald (Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa./State College) scored her 1,000th career point as the Juniata women's basketball team cruised past Drew University 96-48 Saturday night in the Kennedy Sports+Recreation Center. Juniata (18-7, 9-5 Landmark) held the Rangers scoreless for over 10 minutes in the first half to remain undefeated at home against the league rival.
The Eagles hosted their annual pink game at the event. They shot 60-percent as a team and have now won eight straight against Drew, who fell to 9-16, 5-9 in the Landmark with the loss.
"This was an unbelievable offensive production day for us," said head coach Danny Young-Uhrich. "Shooting 60-percent from the floor is phenomenal. It felt like we were in sync and we were really clicking. It was a total team effort today. There was a lot of energy and a lot of positivity."
McDonald scored game-highs of 21 points and 11 rebounds en route to her 12th double-double of the season. She came into the game needing 20 points to reach her milestone and scored the key basket with over eight minutes remaining. She also finished with a game-high eight assists.
"Obviously Kate definitely had a big day," added Young-Uhrich. "I actually just found out that she was so close to 1,000. It was really cool for her to get it in front of a home crowd. Natalie [Hager] stepped up big today. And Kelsey [Livoti] is still efficient. There were so many good things out there today."
Freshman Natalie Hager (Franklin, Pa./Franklin) scored a career-high 20 points in the win. She made 9-of-10 from the floor, missing only one three, and grabbed six boards. Sophomore Kelsey Livoti (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) also finished in double figures along with freshman Paige Dennison (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) who earned her second collegiate start. They scored 12 and 11 points respectively.
Drew was led by Courtney Stephens who finished with a team-high 19 points.
It was senior day in Memorial Gymnasium and the Eagles recognized senior Jordan Speck (Huntingdon, Pa./Southern Huntingdon). A hometown girl, Speck has been a significant contributor to the Eagles offense in her four years. She earned her place in history as the women's basketball all-time three-point leader. Speck has made 62 three-pointers this year to set a single-season record and currently ranks top 60 nationally in both three-point field goal percentage and three-pointers per game. She has started in 61 games, scored 820 points and grabbed 405 rebounds during her career.
With Juniata finishing fourth in the Landmark and securing its position in the postseason, Speck's career will continue for at least one more road trip. The Eagles will travel down to top seed Catholic University next Wednesday, Feb. 20 for the semifinals. They have lost both times they have played the Cardinals this season but the games have been incredibly close. Catholic's win margin against the Eagles this year was just 4.5 points.
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