Rangers Slide Past Eagles

ALLENTOWN, Pa.- The Juniata women's basketball team traveled to Drew University in search of another Landmark win but came up just short after a 42-77 game in favor of the Rangers. 

The game began with Drew finding the basket first but Juniata answered back on the next play with a wide-open shot for Averie Hess (Jersey Shore, Pa. / Jersey Shore HS) to put up the points for the Eagles. This followed with two Grace Long (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin HS) foul shots and back-to-back Hess baskets. 

Drew jumped ahead nine points while the Eagles did not score for a span of nine minutes, being broken up by Dani Scipioni (Altoona, Pa. / Bishop Guilfoyle HS) with a made three-throw shot. Hess made a three-point shot to wrap up the first quarter at 12-24. 

The second-quarter scoring began with a Drew layup which shortly followed a streak of points for senior, Taylor Vrabel (Chambersburg, Pa. / Chambersburg HS). Beginning with two foul shots, Vrabel put up a great defensive effort on the other side of the court preventing a shot. The team then rushed down to the offensive side of the court as Vrabel cut into the middle, Grace Long (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin HS) fed her with a bounce pass adding two more points. She ended the second period with a similar play for another layup putting the score at 25-36 at halftime. Vrabel ended the night with 11 points, one assist, and nine rebounds.

The Eagles were unable to find the basket in the first minutes of the second half, allowing the Rangers to jump ahead by 29 points. Efforts by a Vrabel free throw and a three from Jamie Mahigel (Lewistown, Pa. / Mifflin County HS) to push the score to 29-61 before the end of the third. 

Hess had three straight buckets at the beginning of the fourth, she had 13 points, one assist, and five rebounds on the night. Steph Emert (Hoovesville, Pa. / North Star HS) hit a three in the final minutes and Vrabel wrapped up the game with one last jump shot on the night. 

The Eagles will return to the court away at Elizabethtown on Wednesday night at 7:00 pm.