Cardinals Top Eagles In Key Landmark Contest

HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Juniata men's basketball team hosted Catholic on Wednesday night in Memorial Gymnasium, with the two teams jockeying for third place in the Landmark standings. Despite a close first half, the Eagles couldn't keep pace and fell 72-55.

Michael Montecalvo (Altoona, Pa. / Bishop Guilfoyle HS) led Juniata in scoring with 12 points on the night, including a perfect two of two night from behind the arc. He added another four points from the foul line and an assist. Evan Eisenhart (York, Pa. / Central York HS) trailed with eight points, three assists, and two rebounds. Gabe Guidinger (York. Pa. / Central York HS) put in a strong performance from the bench, scoring six points while shooting two for two from the field, one for one from 3-point range, and one for one from the free-throw line. He also contributed two assists and a rebound.

Both offenses started the first half slowly, with the Eagles leading for the first eight minutes before the Cardinals tied the game at nine with 11:40 remaining in the half. From there, Juniata did not make a field goal for nearly seven minutes, allowing the Cardinals to claim a lead that they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. The Eagles brought the gap to three before the half with Montecalvo completing a four-point play in the final minute.

Catholic's leading scorer Jesse Hafemeister turned in an excellent second half after having limited production in the first. He finished with 22 points, three rebounds, an assist, and a steal. The entire team combined for a 23 of 29 night from the foul line, helping to pace their scoring in the second half and keeping the Eagles at bay.

In a game that was as physical and fiery as one would expect between playoff rivals, the two teams combined for 43 fouls. The Eagles turned in a 50 percent shooting night from behind the arc, but their 17 turnovers along with Catholic shooting 42 percent from the field ultimately kept them from ever reclaiming the lead. 

Juniata is back in action on Saturday, traveling to Susquehanna for a 2:00 PM contest.