HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata women's basketball team fell to the visiting Saint Vincent Bearcats, 83-45, Tuesday evening at Memorial Gymnasium.
Saint Vincent forced a turnover and laid it in on the other end to make it 2-0. After preventing the Eagles from scoring again, Saint Vincent came down again looking to score. Cassie Mock (Martinsburg, Pa. / Central Martinsburg) emphatically swatted a Bearcat layup to help Juniata get a stop. Saint Vincent scored twice more before Madison Colyer (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) scored on a lefty hook off a pass from Grace Long (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin). On the next offensive possession, Colyer was fouled and split a pair of free throws. Gracie Stauffer (Loysville, Pa. / West Perry) hauled down the offensive rebound in heavy traffic and banked it in to make it 6-5. On the other end Stauffer stole the ball and JC went the other way. Colyer snagged an offensive rebound and scored on a layup to put the Eagles ahead, 7-6. An 11-0 run by the Bearcats made it 17-7 over the next two minutes before Mock found Colyer rolling to the basket for another bucket in the paint. A Kaeana Rebert (Hanover, Pa. / South Western) jumper cut the deficit to six, 17-11, with a minute and half to go. The Eagles trailed 21-11 at the end of the first period. The Bearcat defense caused some issues for Juniata as it forced JC into nine turnovers.
Colyer converted two jump shots to start the second quarter, but the Bearcats scored on the other end both times as the Eagles trailed 25-15. With a little under six minutes to go, Saint Vincent led by 16, 31-15. Mock nailed a jumper and Colyer found Rebert for another midrange jumper to cut the deficit to 12. The Bearcat defense continued to force turnovers and convert them into points as they led, 39-19. Megan Haines (Bloomsburg, Pa. / Bloomsburg) drilled two straight three's around a Bearcat steal and layup. A Colyer jumper off another assist by Mock was the last basket of the half as Juniata trailed, 41-27 at halftime.
Saint Vincent blew the game open with a 21-7 third quarter as they led comfortably the rest of the way.
The Bearcats totaled 40 points on the break and tallied 33 points off turnovers to control the game.
Colyer tallied a career-high with her 16 points. Haines had nine points via three triples, both of which were season-highs.
The Eagles will return to action this Friday against SUNY Poly in the Juniata College Holliday Classic.