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Rangers Use Late Three Point Barrage to Get Past Eagles

Nathan Markey
Nathan Markey made four three's against Drew, and it is the third time this season he has done so.

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team went bucket for bucket with Drew until midway through the second half as the Rangers pulled away to win, 80-66, Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium. 

Cameron Keck (Waynesboro, Pa. / Waynesboro) found Marcus Hall (York, Pa. / Trinity) in the paint for a layup to open the scoring. The teams traded points early with Keck converting back to back buckets with the second jumper assisted by John Kelly (Philadelphia, Pa. / Roman Catholic High School). Nathan Markey (York, Pa. / Central York) drilled the first of four three's off a pass from Nate DaCanal. Markey's two foul shots tied things at 11-11 four minutes in. 

Griffin LaCarte's (Belle Vernon, Pa. / Belle Vernon) layup cut the deficit to one at 21-20 with just over 11 minutes to go in the half.

Juniata went cold on offense, with another Markey three breaking the seal on the hoop to make it 27-23 with three and a half remaining as the defense kept the Eagles in the game. DaCanal's floater in the lane off a pass from Kelly made it 32-25 but Drew drilled a three in the final seconds to take a 10-point lead into the locker room at the half. 

Drew held Juniata at bay over the first six minutes of the second half, before a Charles Somerville III (Hagerstown, Md. / St. Maria Goretti H.S.) layup while being fouled cut the deficit to 11. Keck's finger-roll layup off a pass from Jake Holsopple (Duncansville, Pa. / Hollidaysburg) followed by Kelly's layup in traffic made it 47-40. Holsopple splashed a three from the left corner to get the crowd off their feet, and following another stop, Keck drilled a triple from the top of the key to bring JC within one as the visitors called timeout. 

Drew countered with a 6-0 surge out of the time out to go up 53-46, but a Markey three and a Kelly layup sliced the deficit back to one. DaCanal found Keck cutting to the basket, and he pumped faked before banking in the close-range effort while being fouled. Keck's foul shot made it 54-34 Juniata with 8:22 to go in the game. 

The Rangers caught fire from behind the three-point line to close the game as they made seven in the final eight minutes to pull away with the win.  

Juniata struggled from the foul line, as they shot 3-17 but excelled at the three-point line where they were 9-17 while also shooting 52.9% from the field. 

The Eagles will return to action at Goucher, Wednesday at 7:00.