BETHLEHEM, Pa.- Juniata entered the final day of the regular season with two routes to a Landmark Conference playoff appearance, a win at Moravian or a Scranton loss against Catholic. The Eagles left nothing to chance and got both, beating Moravian 91-71, while Scranton also fell to Catholic.
The Eagles scored early and often in the game, to the tune of a 57.4 percent night from the field as a team. Leading the way was Chase Husted (DuBois, Pa. / DuBois Area), who scored 19 points on a 7 for 10 shooting night, while also adding nine rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block. Husted was not the only big for the Eagles to turn in a double-digit scoring night, as senior John Kelly (Philadelphia, Pa. / Roman Catholic) scored 18 points, going 9 f or 13 from the field. He also chipped in four rebounds and an assist.
Three of the Eagles' guards would also finish with double-digit points. Mason Hardy (Gaithersburg, Md. / Our Lady of Good Counsel) rode the momentum from his strong performance against Goucher on Wednesday to another standout game, scoring 11 points and leading the team with six assists. He also had two rebounds and a steal. Kohl Bernarding (Cochranton, Pa. / Cochranton) would also finish with 11 points, shooting a stellar 5 for 6 from the field. He also grabbed nine rebounds and added four assists and a steal. Evan Eisenhart (York, Pa. / Central York) was the fifth Eagle to score in the double-digits, adding 10 points, an assist, and a steal.
The offensive efficiency and playmaking added up for Juniata, resulting in their 24 total assists dwarfing Moravian's total of 13. Three of the Greyhounds' starters also had double-digit scoring performances, but they played from behind for the entire game and were never able to mount a serious comeback attempt.
Juniata finishes the regular season with a record of 15-10 overall and 8-6 in the Landmark Conference. This was enough to earn the fourth seed for the playoffs, and they'll now turn their attention to their semi-final matchup at #1 seed Susquehanna. The game will take place on Wednesday, February 23rd, in Selinsgrove at 7:00.
