MADISON, N.J.- The Juniata men's basketball stormed back in the second half but couldn't quite complete the comeback as the game-tying three rimmed out at the buzzer, and they lost at Drew, 68-65, Sunday evening.
The teams were basically even over the first 10 minutes of the first half as the teams limited each other offensively, with Drew leading 10-8. Chase Husted (DuBois, Pa. / DuBois Area HS) and Kyle Ruggery (Duncansville, PA / Bishop Guilfoyle HS) made a jumper, Filippo Baldo (Easton, Pa. / Notre Dame Green Pond H.S.) made a three off a Ruggery pass, and Michael Montecalvo (Altoona, Pa. / Bishop Guilfoyle HS) split a pair of foul shots.
From that point on, it was all Drew as they locked down the Eagles and embarked on a 27-7 barrage to close the half that saw JC head into the locker room down 37-15.
Juniata opened the second half locked in, going on a 12-3 run over the first five minutes to narrow the deficit to 13. John Kelly (Philadelphia, Pa. / Roman Catholic High School) scored on a layup, Ruggery made a three off a pass from Evan Eisenhart (York, Pa. / Central York H.S.), Ruggery made a pair of foul shots, Eisenhart converted an and-one, and Andrew Bithell (Saxton, Pa. / Tussey Mountain HS) blocked a shot on one end before making a jumper on the other to complete the run.
Drew managed to hold the Eagles off for a few minutes, pushing the lead back to 23 with just over 11 minutes to go on a putback.
Montecalvo had a hand in four straight Eagle buckets as he made a three, found Ruggery for a three, and Husted for a two before knocking down a jumper of his own. Another Ruggery three and a Hall steal led to him dunking it on the other end brought Juniata within 13 with just under nine minutes to play.
Husted's tip-in with five minutes and fifty seconds got the Eagles within 10, and following another Drew layup, Eisenhart found Montecalvo for another trey to make it 62-53. The freshman from Altoona, Pa. followed that with a jumper, Drew made a pair of foul shots before Kelly found Montecalvo for his fourth three of the game. Husted stole the ball on one end of the floor and flipped it in on the other end while being fouled to bring the Eagles within four, 64-60, with just over a minute to go in the contest. He missed the free throw, but the Eagles forced a turnover as Montecalvo tied up his man on the right-wing, and the possession arrow favored the Blue and Gold.
Montecalvo got a look at a pull-up foul line jumper following a time-out, but it was long. Drew got the rebound, and JC fouled, with the Rangers making both free throws to make it 66-60 with 21 seconds to go. Ruggery took the inbounds pass and raced up the floor. He froze his man at the top of the key with a right to left cross over, drove, and laid it in high off the glass with his left hand, which brought JC within four.
Drew called timeout, and once they inbounded, the Eagles fouled, with the Rangers splitting the foul shots.
Juniata quickly advanced the ball up the court, and Ruggery was fouled on the right-wing. He made both free throws, and Juniata fouled again after they couldn't force a turnover on the inbound.
Drew made one of two to make it 68-64, Ruggery received the inbound with eight seconds on the clock. He got to the right elbow, pump-faked, and drew a foul with one second left. He made the first to make it 68-65 and Drew called timeout, which allowed the Eagles to draw something up. Ruggery missed the free throw off the rim's right side; Marcus Hall (York, Pa. / Trinity) went from the left side of the paint to the right corner and grabbed the ball. While that is happening, Montecalvo cuts from slightly to the left of the top the key to his right, past Eisenhart, who is setting a screen on the Ranger defender. Hall whips the ball to Montecalvo, who fires while fading to his right and nearly banked it in, but the ball went off the glass, rolled around the left side of the rim, and out.
Juniata will head to Washington, D.C., to take on Catholic on Tuesday. Tipoff is at 7:00 P.M.
