Juniata men’s hoops improves to 2-0 with win over Penn State Altoona

CRESSON, Pa. – Juniata College men's basketball dominated Penn State Altoona on the boards and at the free-throw line and posted an 83-71 win over the Lions, in Friday evening's first game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Mount Aloysius College.

The win gives the Eagles a 2-0 start for the first time since the 2007-08 season, when Juniata opened with wins over Lancaster Bible and Washington & Jefferson.

Juniata held a 48-33 rebounding advantage over PSU Altoona, led by Nate Higgins' (St. Mary's, Pa./Elk County Catholic) nine boards to go with 12 points. Kevin Stapleton (Indiana, Pa./Indiana), Brian Scholly (State College, Pa./State College Area), and Lucas Mellott (Warfordsburg, Pa./Southern Fulton) each grabbed eight rebounds.

Dan Sekulski (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone) led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, leading a quartet of Eagles who finished in double figures. Scholly tallied 13 points on the night, while Stapleton finished with 10 points.

Guard Alex Raymond (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Altoona Area) dished out five assists for the victorious Eagles, while Sekulski logged three steals.

The Lions (0-2) had a pair of players score in double digits, led by Durant Harvin's 16 points. Jordan Wells chipped in with 13.

Juniata gained a double-digit lead on Penn State Altoona early in the second half, breaking open what had been a single possession game for the much of the opening stanza.  A Higgins jumper followed by a pair of free throws gave the Eagles a 46-36 lead at the 16:54 mark of the second half, but the Lions responded with an 8-0 run to cut that margin to a single bucket.

Stapleton ended the Penn State Altoona run with a 3-pointer at the 14:15 mark, extending the Juniata lead back to five points.  Scholly followed up with a layup, and, after a Will Hicks bucket that briefly pulled the Lions back to within five, Patrick Cassidy (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg Area) had a two-point basket and Scholly drained a trey to get Juniata back in front by 10, 56-46, with 10:55 left in the game.

A Penn State Altoona charge around the three-minute mark pulled the Lions to within five of the Eagles for one trip up the floor, but Sekulski answered for Juniata with four straight free throws to keep the Eagles on pace for the win.

Juniata took full advantage of Penn State Altoona's 27 fouls, shooting 25-of-33 at the stripe. That made up for the Lions' effort from three-point range, where Penn State Altoona shot a scorching 10-of-28. Mitch Moyer and Bobby Nester each had three 3-pointers against Juniata.

Juniata will advance to Saturday's championship game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, facing the winner of the Lynchburg College vs. Mount Aloysius College contest played late Friday night.

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