HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team thwarted a late charge from SUNY Cortland in a 55-51 victory to claim the Comfort Inn Doc Greene Tournament Championship.
Scoring remained low throughout the first half of play, as Juniata posted an 18-14 lead at the break, only holding the lead for about five minutes in the first half. Chase Husted drove for a layup on the first possession of the game, but Cortland swiftly responded with a three-pointer to take the early advantage. They followed with a free throw and a layup in the first three minutes for a 6-2 lead, with no scoring for the next six minutes.
Gabe Guidinger hit a jump shot, and Nick Rigby followed with a layup to level the score at six with 13 minutes on the clock. A short 4-0 run from Cortland was followed by six straight from Juniata as the Eagles again claimed the advantage at 12-10 with 4:30 remaining in the first. Juniata outscored the Red Dragons 6-4 to round out the half with two made free throws from Tyler Lapetina and layups from Rigby and Husted.
Both sides struggled in shooting in the first half, particularly from beyond the three-point line. Cortland went one for nine, and Juniata was unable to convert on 11 attempts.
Rigby hit a pair of free throws followed by a Cortland three to open the second half. The gap remained within a few points in the opening several minutes, with Cortland getting as close as two points back on an open three from the right wing to make it 26-24. From there, the Eagles posted seven unanswered, including their first three-pointer from Ross Conway to hold a 33-24 lead with ten minutes left on the clock.
The sides traded points in the next few minutes before a 6-0 run with two Husted layups, and a pair of Lapetina free throws opened the Juniata lead to 43-30 with 5:58 on the clock. Cortland began to make a bid at the tournament championship, firing a three-pointer and a layup to make it an eight-point deficit. Husted drove left in the paint for a layup before Cortland hit a three-pointer off a rebound to get back within seven. The Red Dragons called a timeout at this point with 2:44 remaining.
Mason Hardy opened the return to action with a three-pointer to get back ahead by 10. One Cortland player followed suit with a layup and a three-pointer to get within five at 1:18. The Eagles called a timeout at this point.
Following the return to action, Cortland drove from the left and scored a layup to make it 48-45. With it a one-score game, Hardy passed to Conway on the right wing. He sized up his man, jabbed to his right to create space before taking one dribble to his left and drilling a three.
Conway for three!! #WingsUp #TakingFlight #GoEagles pic.twitter.com/DXSUXOfcSn
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) December 30, 2022
Cortland returned to the court with a three of their own and then fouled Hardy on the inbounds. Hardy sank both for a 53-48 score. With seven seconds remaining, Cortland drove to the right wing and again hit a three-pointer to get within two one more time, and they called a timeout. Kyle Ruggery was fouled on the inbound pass and needed to sink both to secure victory. Both free throws were converted, ending the game at 55-51.
Husted and Rigby each ended the game with 16 points. Husted's 16 points all came from field goals, while Rigby hit six field goals and four of four free throws.
Conway led Juniata with ten rebounds and two three-point shots. Guidinger led in blocks with two.
While the Juniata offense struggled at times in the game, they kept turnovers to a season-low of seven while having their best free-throw conversion rate of the season (.857). The defense posted 27 rebounds, seven steals, and five blocks, tied for the most on the season.
Husted was named MVP of the tournament, posting 27 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, one steal, and a block across the two games. Husted joined Rigby on the all-tournament team, with the Rigby totaling 24 points, going nine for 15 on field goals and six-for-six on from the free throw line. He also collected six rebounds and a steal.
The Eagles wrap up the nonconference slate with an 8-4 record, including a 65-53 win over conference opponents Drew at home and the championship in the Comfort Inn Juniata College Holiday Tournament.
Juniata is back in action this Saturday, January 7, as they venture into Landmark Conference play against Goucher at Memorial Gymnasium. The Eagles swept their season series with the Gophers last season, winning 64-49 in Baltimore before picking up a 66-59 victory at Memorial Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 pm following the women's basketball team's clash with Goucher at 2 pm.
