Tigers Hold Off Eagles
SPRINGFIELD, OH - The Juniata men's basketball team lost on the road, 75-69, to Wittenberg on the first day of the Wittenberg Holiday Classic.
The Tigers scored the game's first bucket from behind the three-point line, and a minute later, Chase Husted (DuBois, Pa. / DuBois Area HS) got JC on the board with a bucket from the right block. After a stop, Evan Eisenhart (York, Pa. / Central York H.S.) blew past his defender from the top of the key for a layup to give JC a 4-3 advantage. A Nick Rigby (Huntingdon, Pa. / Huntingdon H.S.) layup pushed the lead to three before the host's tied it with another triple.
The Eagles managed to pull ahead and nurse a small lead over the next 10 minutes. Husted scored inside again to make it 21-18 with a little over seven to go in the half. The Eagles couldn't score over the next three minutes, as Wittenberg managed to retake the lead, 25-21. Kyle Ruggery (Duncansville, PA / Bishop Guilfoyle HS) broke the cold spell with a strong finish at the rim through contact to bring Juniata within two. Wittenberg controlled the final minutes of the half with a 9-4 advantage as they led 34-27 at the break.
Juniata hung around in the opening six minutes, not letting the deficit grow larger than 12.
A foul shot from John Kelly (Philadelphia, Pa. / Roman Catholic High School), and a layup from Gabe Guidinger (York, Pa. / Central York HS) was followed by Ruggery stealing the ball in the backcourt and quickly laying it in to make it 45-39. The Tigers scored the next three points to push the lead back to nine, but the Eagles weren't done. Ruggery scored off a pass from Kelly, Michael Montecalvo (Altoona, Pa. / Bishop Guilfoyle HS) swished a three off a Ruggery pass, and Tyler Lapetina (Collegeville, Pa. / Perkiomen Valley HS) scored in transition to bring JC within two. Juniata got another stop, and Ruggery splashed a triple from the right wing to put the Eagles back in the lead at 49-48. Wittenberg called timeout with just under nine minutes to play as the JC bench cleared to mob their teammates coming off the floor.
The Tigers had an answer again, going on an 8-4 surge, with Husted scoring both buckets for Juniata as they trailed 57-53.
Wittenberg stretched their advantage back to 10 with 3:27 to play, and the Eagles tried to respond one last time. Montecalvo drilled a three from the top of the key, Guidinger made another following a stop, and Lapetina finished strong at the rim in transition while being fouled to make it 68-65. The ensuing free throw was off the mark, and the Tigers managed to keep Juniata at bay over the final minute and a half.
Juniata will take on Franklin tomorrow at 4:30.