HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team couldn't quite complete the comeback as they lost to the visiting Blue Jays, 79-71, Wednesday evening. 

Ty Kocak had a career-high 18 points, five rebounds, and two steals. Ayden Hurley added 16 points with six rebounds, an assist, and a steal off the bench, while Mason Hardy contributed 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, and three steals. 

The Blue Jays nudged ahead in the opening five minutes of the game, with the Eagles tying it up twice as Neco Campbell drilled a three from the wing off a Hardy assist. Etown countered with a three on the other end before Kocak drove inside and finished through contact for the and-one. 

Over the next 10 minutes, the Blue Jay offense started to cook, and the Eagles suddenly found themselves on the wrong side of a 15-point deficit.  

The gap grew to 18, but the Eagles chipped away at the lead, using some zone defense to slow the visitors. JC reduced the deficit to 12 at the half, 47-35. 

The Blue Jays slowly increased their lead at the beginning of the second half, but the Eagles managed to whittle it back down to seven on Hardy's right-wing triple off a Benjamin Landesman assist. 

JC wouldn't get any closer until the final seconds when Jaiden Aze completed a three-point play to make it 77-71.  

Juniata returns to action this Saturday as they host Wilkes at 4:00.