HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata women's basketball team opened their season with a thrilling win, 86-82 in overtime over visiting Penn State Altoona, Monday evening inside Memorial Gymnasium. 

Bri Bodtorf led all scorers with a career-high 25 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Haily Sherman had a double-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Steph Emert contributed 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while Laney Gerdich tailed eight points, nine rebounds, an assist, and a steal. 

The Eagles were flying high to open the game, with Sherman drilling a short jumper off a Bodtorf assist. After a stop, Bodtorf scored on a layup in transition and followed with a jumper. The Lions called timeout, but the Eagles kept coming as they got another stop, and Berg dished it to Sherman for a layup to make it 8-2. The Eagles led by as many as 10, but the Lions found their footing as Juniata led 23-18 after one. 

The second quarter saw the Eagles maintain their lead, but the Lions didn't let the Juniata advantage balloon, as the lead never got past eight. A pair of Bodtorf foul shots in the final minute were the final points of the half, as Juniata led 41-35 at the break. 

The Eagles kept PSU-Altoona at bay through the third, but the Lions kept chipping away, and with 1:26 to go in the game, a three-pointer gave them their first lead at 68-67. The teams traded, making one of two foul shots, before Sherman converted a pair to give the Eagles the lead back. Juniata forced a miss, and Emert snared the rebound. She raced up the floor before being fouled and made one of her free throws to push the lead to two, 71-69.  

The Lions came down the other way and swung the ball around the arc, finding an open shooter on the left winger who swished a three to give them the lead back. After an Eagle timeout, Sherman got the ball at the top of the key, but her shot was off, and the visitors grabbed the rebound. Juniata fouled with three seconds left. The Lions split their foul shots to increase their lead to two, 73-71. Juniata called timeout and advanced the ball with 1.2 seconds on the clock.  

Inbounding from beside the Eagle bench, Olivia Berg lobbed the ball over the defense to Sherman near the hoop, who caught the ball and laid it in to send the game into overtime.  

Bodtorf drew a foul and made both her free throws, the Lions made another three, and Berg found Gerdich rolling to the hoop for a layup. Bodtorf drew another foul and made both freebies, the Lions on a step-back jumper from the foul line, before Deja Gillo drove to the hoop from the right wing and laid it in off the glass to push the lead back to three 81-78 with three to play. 

Leading by four in the final 40 seconds, Bodtorf intercepted an entry pass and took it the other way. She beat everyone down the court and laid it in with her left hand to push the lead to six.  

The Lions scored while being fouled on the other end but missed the ensuing foul shot, and Juniata saw the game out to give head coach Marissa Molnar her first win as head coach. 

Juniata will travel to take on Marywood on Saturday at 1:00.