Juniata Wins Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament With 87-57 Win Over PSU-Altoona

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- Five Eagles scored in double figures as the Juniata men's basketball team outscored Penn State Altoona 53-31 in the second half to win 87-57 in the Championship game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic on Saturday. The win improves JC's record to 3-0 while the Lions even their record at 1-1. It is the Eagles' first 3-0 start since 2012.

Tournament MVP Marcus Lee (Carrolltown, Pa./Bishop Carroll) scored 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting and pulled down seven rebounds. Seth Brewer (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) added 13 points. Justin Fleming (Richmond, Va./Benedictine College Prep), Brandon Martinazzi (Cresson, Pa./Bishop Carroll), and Nate Ogle (Falls Church, Va./George Mason) all chipped in 10 points with Fleming dishing out four assists and Martinazzi pulling down seven rebounds.

In referring to the five Eagles scoring in double figures, head coach Greg Curley said, "When we do that, I think we are good team. When we have had good teams that is something we are able to do consistently. It's nice to establish that right now and hopefully we can learn from this weekend and keep getting better."

In the first half, there were 10 lead changes and four ties. The Eagles led 14-9 at 12:33 before the Lions rallied to go ahead 15-14 with 10:50 showing on the game clock. The two teams briefly exchanged leads but an 18-6 JC run that covered nine and a half minutes of game time put the Eagles up 34-23 with 2:33 remaining in the half. A free throw from PSU-Altoona's Michael Winfield narrowed the deficit to 10 points and a jumper by Winfield got it to eight points as Juniata went into the locker room up 34-26.

The Eagles came out fast in the second half as a 13-5 run increased their lead to 49-31 at the 13:17 mark. The advantage stood at 55-40 with 10:35 to play but a 10-0 run increased that lead to 65-40 with 7:43 remaining. Juniata's lead was no less than 20 points as it easily took the win.

Juniata's defense came up big as it forced 17 Lions turnovers. The Eagles turned those turnovers into 25 points.

For the second straight game, the JC bench was a contributor as it scored 38 points,. Ogle and Martinazzi's 10 points led with Damon Rickens (Altoona, Pa./Bishop Guilfoyle) pitching in nine points and dishing out three assists.

"I thought from start to finish we were consistent with our defense focus and effort," noted Curley. I think guys are playing with confidence right now. Everybody understands who and what they are and are confident in what they are doing."

Joining Lee on the All-Tournament Team was Kyle Koehler (Chester Springs, Pa./Devon Prep) who scored six points, brought down three rebounds, had three assists, and tallied two steals. In two games in the tournament, he shot 10-of-14 from the floor (.714) and was 8-of-10 from beyond the three-point arc (.800).

The Eagles go on the road Tuesday to Washington, Pa. to play Washington and Jefferson College. Game time will be at 6:00 p.m.