Eagles Rally Comes Up Just Short Against Rangers

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata women's basketball team had the ball with five seconds left down three, but the last-second shot hit the front of the rim as they lost 73-30 to Drew, Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium. 

Larissa Leonard (Three Springs, Pa. / Southern Huntingdon) scored the first three points of the game from the foul line, and Cassie Mock (Martinsburg, Pa. / Central Martinsburg) drilled a three off a pass from Grace Long (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) to make it 7-6 Rangers early. A Long jumper off a Cassidy Arnold (York, Pa. / Eastern York HS) assist made it 11-8. From that point, Drew closed the quarter on a 15-5 run as they led by 13 after one. 

Gracie Stauffer (Loysville, Pa. / West Perry) scored on back to back buckets to open the third, with the second off a Leonard assist to cut the deficit to single digits. Madison Colyer (Newville, Pa. / Big Spring) scored inside after grabbing an offensive rebound, Stauffer scored again on an offensive rebound, this time while being fouled. Her foul shot, followed by another Drew turnover on an Arnold steal and layup, brought Juniata within two, 26-24. Drew scored four straight on two free throws and a layup, Arnold scored inside again with a strong drive before finishing with her right hand, the Rangers countered with a layup of their own and Long drilled a triple off a pass from Leonard at the top of the key. 

Colyer's layup brought Juniata back within one with about four minutes to go in the half. The teams traded buckets down the stretch, with Megan Haines (Bloomsburg, Pa. / Bloomsburg) three providing the final points of the half as Juniata trailed by three, 40-37.  

Long started the second half with a three from the left off a pass from Colyer to bring JC back within two, 42-40. The Rangers pushed their lead to nine with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes, with Stauffer's layup off a feed from Leonard breaking the Eagle cold spell. 

Arnold's foul shot pulled JC within seven, 53-46, but Drew scored the final five points of the quarter as they led by 12 heading into the final frame.  

Inbounding on the left sideline, Mock hit Long, who cut to the top of the key, and she splashed another triple to cut the deficit to single digits. Drew scored on a layup, Stauffer scored inside on two straight trips down the floor, and Leonard made a three from the left corner to bring JC within four, 60-56. 

Trailing by eight with five minutes to go, Stauffer drilled her first career three on the left wing after a Colyer offensive rebound to make it 65-60.  

The Eagles kept pulling within one, with Long's three from the left corner to make it 71-70 the last time. Drew made two free throws, Juniata tried to score with a quick two in the post, but Long's lefty runner was a bit long. With 5.5 on the clock, the Rangers bricked both foul shots. Stauffer grabbed the rebound and threw it to Mock, who took off up the left side of the court. She threw up a running left-handed three from the left wing that hit the front of the rim as the Eagles comeback came up short. 

The Eagles turned Drew over 22 times and turned it into 32 points, but the Rangers held the edge on the glass, 41-33. 

Juniata will host Goucher, Wednesday at 7:00.