Kocak Goes for a Career-High 28 Against Colonels on Alumni Day

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - The Juniata men's basketball team lost to visiting Wilkes University, 91-79, Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium. 

Ty Kocak led all scorers with a career-high 28 points to go with five rebounds and three assists. Ayden Hurley tallied 15 points and three rebounds off the bench while William Littles Jr. added 11 points, two assists, and a rebound. Jayden Bilger had nine points, seven assists, four rebounds, and a block. 

Kocak scored the first five points for the Eagles with a layup inside and a three from the right wing off a pass from Malcolm Griffith. Littles splashed a three from the top of the key, and Kocak added another from left wing, this time off a Joe Bruce assist. Jaiden Aze found Littles Jr. for his second three of the day to make it 14-7 four minutes in. 

Two foul shots and a pull-up jumper from Kocak increased the lead to 10, 19-9, with just over 13 to go in the first half. Wilkes scored inside, Hurley was fouled while shooting a three, and converted all three foul shots to make it 22-11. 

The Wilkes offense caught fire for the rest of the half, as they went on 35-14 over the final 12 minutes as Juniata trailed by 10 at the break. 

A Bruce three off a Bilger pass made it 56-48 in the first minutes of the second half, but the Eagles couldn't get any closer the rest of the game. 

Juniata outrebounded Wilkes, 27-21, and got more production from the bench, 19-2. 

The Eagles return to action on the road at Elizabethtown, Wednesday at 7:00.