HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Juniata women's basketball team turned in a much-improved performance in Memorial Gymnasium on Wednesday evening but came up short, losing 80-63 to Elizabethtown College.
Both offenses started slowly, with the first field goal taking a full 2:12 to arrive. From there, the Eagles put together a small lead, going up 8-2 after a few minutes of solid defense. Elizabethtown pushed back, knotting the game at ten before taking the lead, which they would hold on to for the remainder of the game.
The Blue Jays would push their lead to as much as 14 points in the 2nd quarter, before the Eagles brought it back to a 9-point gap before the half, with Haily Sherman (Marysville, Pa. / Susquenita HS) dropping in a pair of free throws in the last 10 seconds of the half. Sherman would then come out of the locker room after halftime and put in one of the best halves of her young career. She went 8 for 11 in the half and snagged three steals. She finished the night with 24 points, eight rebounds, five steals, and two assists. The points and steals marks are both career highs for the freshman.
Despite the stellar night from Sherman, the Eagles were not able to supplement her scoring, with Averie Hess (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore HS) being the only other player in double figures with 10 points. Grace Long (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin HS) tied with Sherman for the rebounds lead with eight of her own.
Both teams struggled with turnovers and fouls throughout the game. The Blue Jays finished with 22 turnovers and 21 personal fouls, while the Eagles topped them with 24 turnovers and 22 personal fouls. One of the key categories in which Elizabethtown found an edge was three-point shooting. They shot 41.2 percent from beyond the arc, topping the Eagles mark of 19 percent.
The loss drops Juniata to 5-16 overall and 1-10 in the Landmark Conference. They'll return to the court on Saturday at 4:00 PM, hosting Drew and celebrating Senior Day.
