Big Third Quarter Propels Oberlin Past Eagles
HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata women's basketball team couldn't answer a big third quarter from visiting Oberlin as they lost, 71-55, on the first day of the Juniata Comfort Inn Classic Saturday afternoon inside Memorial Gymnasium.
Bri Bodtorf got the Eagles on the board with a drive to the left side, jump-stopping and pulling up for a short jumper along the baseline. Haily Sherman stole the ball and beat everyone down the court for a layup to double the Eagle lead. Oberlin split a pair of foul shots, and Steph Emert drove inside and finished with the left, which made it 6-1. Oberlin scored seven straight points to make it 8-6 before Olivia Berg splashed a three from the right corner off a pass from Aleya Eisenberg to put JC back up by one. Oberlin converted a jumper, and Sarah Betts made a foul shot as the teams were tied 10-10 at the end of one.
Sherman stole the ball on one end, and Kynnedy Miller cashed a three off a feed from Bodtorf to put Juniata back ahead. Bodtorf would score on a putback later, while Oberlin countered with two buckets as they led by one 16-15. Neither team would score for the next three minutes before a layup by the visitors made it 18-15. Emily McCann's two foul shots were countered by two from Oberlin on the following possession, which was proceeded by Emma Coolidge draining two at the line to bring JC back within one with just over two to go in the half. The Eagles turned defense to offense as Emelie Nonemaker stole the ball and flipped it to Berg. She raced up the floor and kicked it to Bodtorf in the corner who found the bottom of the net to put JC back up by three. A Bodtorf putback in the final seconds sent Juniata into the locker room up by three, 27-24, at the half.
The teams came out firing in the third, as threes from Betts and Sherman, along with a set of Emert foul shots, had JC up by four as Oberlin hung close, 35-31 in the opening three minutes of the third. The visitors completely dominated the third as they closed the quarter on a 28-6 run as they drained five three-pointers during the run.
Juniata won the fourth 14-12 but couldn't climb all the way back. Berg led JC in scoring off the bench with 11 points.
Juniata will take on Hiram, tomorrow at 4:00. Hiram won their game against Elmira this evening, 50-44.