HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team couldn't come back from a cold-shooting first half as they lost to visiting Pitt-Bradford, 74-59, Tuesday evening inside Memorial Gymnasium.
The Panthers ran out to a 6-0 lead as the Eagles couldn't find the bottom of the hoop over the first three and half minutes of the game. Following a 30-second timeout, Chase Husted caught the ball in the high post and hit Tyler Lapetina, who was cutting to the hoop with a crisp bounce pass, and the sophomore from Collegeville, Pa., laid the ball in off the glass. Pitt-Bradford wasn't deterred, as they scored the next 10 points to increase their lead to 14 on a three.
After another 30-second timeout, Michael Montecalvo drilled a three-off kick out from Kyle Ruggery. Nick Rigby drilled a three in the right corner off a pass from Ross Conway to make it 22-8 with just over seven minutes to go in the half.
Jackson Byer intercepted an inbound pass at the top of the key and took it the other way. He beat everyone down the court and laid the ball in to make it 25-12. After a stop, Mason Hardy left it for Rigby for a layup. Hardy made a pair of foul shots, and Ruggery splashed a three off a pass from Gabe Guidinger to cut the deficit to six, 25-19.
The Panthers scored the final six points of the half as JC trailed 31-19 at the break.
A Rigby jumper made it 39-33 with 14 minutes to go in the second half, and a few minutes later, Guidinger made two foul shots which made it 40-35. Juniata would get no closer the rest of the way as the Panthers held off the Eagle comeback.
Hardy tallied 11 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Conway amassed 11 points, seven rebounds, an assist, and three steals. Rigby contributed seven points off the bench.
Men's basketball will return Monday the 19th when they host Penn St. Mont Alto in the Juniata College Holliday Tournament. Tipoff is at 7:00.
