Cardinals Pull Away from Eagles

HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata women's basketball team ran out of steam as they mounted a furious comeback in the third before ultimately falling to the visiting University of Catholic, 59-40, Wednesday evening inside Memorial Gymnasium. 

Haily Sherman swished a baseline jumper off a pass from Emma Coolidge for the first bucket of the game. The Cardinals scored the next seven points before Bri Bodtorf found Sherman with a skip pass to the right corner, and she swished a three. After a stop, Steph Emert got her defender in the air with a pump fake, took a dribble, and rattled home a jumper from the right side. The Cardinals scored the next seven points over the following several minutes before Sherman drove from the top of the key and scored on a runner down the lane to make it 13-9, which was the score at the end of the first.

Juniata struggled from the field in the second quarter as they went cold from the floor.  The Cardinals outscored JC 13-4 to lead 26-13 at the break. 

Bodtorf got the third quarter started with a three from the corner to cut the deficit to 10. A few possessions later, Bodtorf beat her defender off the dribble from the top of the key and laid the ball off the glass. Sherman split a pair of foul shots and scored on a hook shot from the right block on the next trip down the floor to make it 26-19. Emert stole the ball, raced up the floor, and flipped it ahead to Sherman, who laid it in with her left hand to make it 26-23, and the Cardinals called timeout. The Eagles were on a 10-0 run over the first four minutes of the third quarter. Catholic finally scored on a jumper for their first bucket of the second half, stole the ball, and scored on a layup to push their lead back to seven. Bodtorf swished a jumper from the right corner to bring JC back within five and hit another jumper a few minutes later off a pass from Emelie Nonemaker. Catholic would not be denied, however, as they closed the quarter on an 18-5 run and led 44-29 heading into the fourth quarter. 

Sherman totaled 14 points, six rebounds, and one assist, while Bodtorf tallied 13 points, six rebounds, an assist, and three steals. 

The Cardinals maintained their lead through the fourth to get the win. 

Juniata will travel to take on Drew Saturday at 2:00.