Hornets Hang on to Edge Eagles

LEXINGTON, Va.- The Juniata women's basketball team dropped a tightly contested 65-58 game on the road at the Washington and Lee Invitational on Saturday afternoon. 

Laney Gerdich got the Eagles on the board with a free throw to start the game, and Kynnedy Miller canned a three-off a pass from Olivia Berg to make it 4-2 Eagles a minute and a half in. Miller turned provider the next time down the floor, finding Haily Sherman for a jumper. Hornets buzzed ahead momentarily on a jumper before Emma Coolidge's free throw and a Sarah Betts layup set up by Steph Emert put JC back ahead. Buckets from Emily McCann and Chloe Sauer closed the quarter for JC as they led 14-10 after one.  

The first five minutes of the second saw the teams trade buckets, with Bri Bodtorf converting from the midrange and Sherman drilling a three as the game was tied 20-20. The Hornets closed on a 9-4 run, capped by a jumper at the buzzer, as Juniata trailed by five at the break, 29-24. 

The third quarter saw both teams find a rhythm offensively, with the Eagles doing a lot of their damage from the three-point line. Sherman, Miller, and Bodtorf hit a three each while Berg swished two. Bodtorf's came with four minutes to go and pushed the recently retaken lead back to four, but the Hornets responded with an 11-0 rally to close the third, as JC went into the final quarter down seven, 49-42. 

The Eagles didn't quit, and two Sherman free throws and a triple off another Berg dime had Juniata back within two with just under eight to go. JC got within three on Bodtorf's jumper and six on a Berg free throw with a minute thirty to go but could get no closer as the Hornets hung on to win.  

Sherman led the way with 19 points to go with five rebounds and an assist, while Bodtorf tallied nine points, seven rebounds, an assist, and a steal. Miller chipped in by doing a bit of everything with seven points, six rebounds, and five assists. 

Juniata will play Washington and Lee at 4:00 pm tomorrow.