HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team dominated the final 10 minutes of the contest, going on a 27-5 run over the last ten and half minutes of the game to win, 68-58, over visiting Moravian University Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium on Senior Day.
The win ensures the Eagles will make the conference playoffs, and this will be the third consecutive year JC has made it, the first time in program history the team has made three straight trips.
Chase Husted had his eighth double-double of the season (seventh in conference play) as he amassed 22 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal. Nick Rigby had 12 points, while Evan Eisenhart contributed 10 points, three rebounds, and a steal off the bench. Kyle Ruggery chipped in with three points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
Husted scored 12 of the opening Eagle 15 points, with an Elijah Kioko jumper and a Ruggery foul shot providing the rest, as Juniata trailed 23-15 with three and half minutes to go in the first half. Gabe Guidinger assisted on the 12th Husted point, which brought JC within eight. Jackson Byer knocked down a pair of foul shots, and Eisenhart found the bottom of the net from the top of the key on a three following a kick-out pass from Husted to bring JC within three. After another stop, Husted found Byer all alone for a layup as JC got within one, 23-22, with just under a minute to play. The Greyhounds drilled a three with 38 seconds to go, Juniata missed on the other end, and Moravian came down and made another triple to push their lead back to seven with six seconds left. Eisenhart took the inbound along the right sideline and took one dribble before firing from three-quarters quart and making it, bringing the crowd to their feet. The Eagles headed to their locker room with a pep in their step down four, 29-25.
Evan Eisenhart for three!! #WingsUp #TakingFlight #GoEagles pic.twitter.com/zTNFMDmMv6
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) February 11, 2023
COUNT IT!!!! #WingsUp #TakingFlight #GoEagles pic.twitter.com/RQoiG03Bzd
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) February 11, 2023
Juniata opened the second half on a 7-2 sprint as a three from Bernarding in the corner, along with layups from Husted and Eisenhart, put the Eagles up by one, 32-31. The Greyhounds controlled the next several minutes with a 21-10 run as Juniata went cold on offense and found themselves trailing 53-41 with ten and a half to go.
Kohl Bernarding kicking off the secong half with a three!! #WingsUp #TakingFlight #GoEagles pic.twitter.com/sS2eY0ELFr
— Juniata Athletics (@JuniataEagles) February 11, 2023
Hardy found Rigby under the hoop for a reverse layup. He stole the ball in the backcourt, took it the other way, drew the final defender, and whipped the ball to Rigby, who laid it in to bring JC within eight. The Hardy and Rigby show continued as Hardy converted a three, and Rigby blew by his defender on the left wing and finished with his right hand to make it 53-50 Moravian with under nine minutes to play. Ruggery found Husted down low with his man sealed for a layup, stole an errant pass in the backcourt, and found Husted flying to the rim who was fouled. Husted's two foul shots gave the Eagles the lead, and his putback after another stop made it 56-53. Moravian made a three to end their five-minute drought, but Juniata closed the final four minutes on a 12-2 run to cruise to a 68-58 win.
Over the final ten and half minutes, Juniata went on a 27-5 blitz to lock their spot in the Landmark playoffs.
Juniata will host Catholic Wednesday at 7:00.
