Strong Defense down the Stretch, Hardy's Career Day Power Eagles Past Colonels

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata men's basketball team held the visiting Colonels of Wilkes University scoreless over the final four and half minutes of the game to get a 65-56 win Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium.  

Mason Hardy had a career-high 23 points, along with four rebounds, four assists, two steals, and a block. Chase Husted tallied 16 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals, while Gabe Guidinger added four points, a career-high ten rebounds, a steal, and a block. Evan Eisenhart added 14 points and an assist. 

Wilkes scored the first five points of the game before Eisenhart nailed a three off a Husted assist to get the Eagles on the board. 

The teams traded buckets for a while, with Hardy finding Kade Anzulavich for a three on one possession and, on the next, dishing the ball around an airborne Colonel player to a wide-open Husted for a dunk. 

Juniata led by as many as eight, but the Colonels chipped away and retook the lead 28-26 with a minute and a half to go in the first. Juniata went into the locker room down one, 28-27. 

An Eisenhart three from the right corner off a pass out the post from Husted made it 36-35. From that point on, the Hardy variety hour began for the next nine minutes as he scored 18 points in various ways and assisted another Eisenhart three. The standout play was in transition as Husted stole the ball and tossed it to him. Hardy raced down the floor, stepped around one defender, and finished with the left hand high off the glass while being fouled. Later, a pair of Hardy free throws had JC up three, 59-56. 

Strong defense down the stretch and foul shots from Husted, Hardy, and Tyler Lapetina helped the Eagles seal the deal to get the 65-56 win. 

Juniata will travel to take on Lycoming on Wednesday at 7:00.