NEW YORK, NY- Berry College converted a layup at the buzzer to edge the Juniata women's basketball team, 47-45, Thursday afternoon at Arc Arena on the first day of the NYC Shootout.
Gracie Stauffer (Loysville, Pa. / West Perry) started things off for the Eagles with a layup to make it 2-0. Averie Hess (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore) scored on a layup after Grace Long (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) stole the ball, and on the next offensive possession Long found Stauffer for a layup. Following another JC stop, Cassie Mock (Martinsburg, Pa. / Central Martinsburg) found Stauffer for another bucket inside as the Eagles led 8-0. The Vikings finally got on the board with an and-one layup, with the free throw making it 8-3. Another layup with three minutes to go in the first cut the JC lead to three. Cassidy Arnold (York, Pa. / Eastern York HS) drilled a triple off a pass from Long to push the advantage back to eight. The teams each made a single free throw, with Kymiah Carpenter (Baltimore, Md. / Gerstell Academy) making it 12-6. Larissa Leonard (Three Springs, Pa. / Southern Huntingdon) converted a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the first as the Eagles led 14-6 after one.
Arnold set Stauffer up for a layup and made one of two free throws to push the JC advantage to 11 early. Berry scored the next five points to get within six before Hess nailed a three. The Vikings kept coming, however, and with four and half minutes to go in the half, they got within one. Forty seconds later they led 21-20. Stauffer kicked it out to Madison Colyer (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) who converted a jumper to give the lead back to the Eagles before Mock tacked on two foul shots. Two more free throws from Arnold in the final 14 seconds sent Juniata into the locker room up five, 26-21.
Berry scored the opening basket of the third via three-pointer, Mock found Stauffer for another layup and Colyer drained a three off a pass from Stauffer. The Vikings converted another shot from three-point territory and Stauffer again was the provider for Colyer, this time for a layup. Stauffer converted in the paint before a layup and a triple brought the Vikings even, 35-35, with under four minutes to go in the third.
Berry tallied six more consecutive points as they led, 41-35 before Stauffer found Mock for a jumper which was the final points of the quarter as the Eagles trailed by four heading into the fourth.
Colyer nailed a jumper off a pass from Leonard 10 seconds in, and neither team scored over the next three minutes until Stauffer scored off a pass from Mock to tie things at 41-41. Two free throws from Leonard gave JC a narrow two-point lead. Berry tied things with a layup with two minutes and 20 seconds to go in the game.
The Vikings went to the line with 48 seconds to go and converted both. The teams traded turnovers, so the Eagles called a timeout with 13 seconds to go, trailing by two. It took JC just three seconds to score as Leonard found Stauffer for a layup. The Viking scored inside at the buzzer to steal to the game.
Juniata will take on Grove City, Saturday at 11:00.