Flashback to Thursday:Juniata splits double header
MIFFLINTOWN – In the second game of the Juniata double header, the Indians’ boys basketball team, also the Tri-Valley League champions, went up against a high tempo Mount Union team that was looking for a mild road upset.
For all four quarters of the game the two teams battled back and forth and had numerous lead changes before the Indians gutting it out in a 45-38 victory.
Leading the way offensively was Juniata’s 1,000 point scorer, Tyler Clark with 15 points.
Teammate Ben Lauver chipped in as well also posting double digits with a game-high 17-point effort.
Mount Union had two score in double digits as well, they were Mykell Smith with 15 and Tyrik Hartley with 13.
After trailing 34-33 going into the final stanza before going on one last dominating run to seal the victory.
Inside man Josh Parson got the fourth quarter scoring started for Juniata as he pulled down an offensive board and put it back up, giving Juniata back the lead at 35-34.
The Trojans tied up the ball game at 35 when Smith hit one-of-two from the charity stripe.
On the next possession, Mount Union teammate Hartley put his team back in the lead by one, also hitting one-of-two from the foul line.
With 3:50 left, Parson gave his team back the lead on a tough jumper in traffic to take the one-point lead.
After a Trojan miscue, the Indians’ offense found Lauver wide open down below for the put in.
Ben Stone’s bucket with just under two minutes left, brought the Trojans to within one once again.
From there the Juniata offense took over as Clark and teammate and Bryce Leonard were clutch at the foul line while the defense kept the Mount Union offense in check en route to the 45-38 win.
Mount Union looked sharp in the first quarter as they were able to take a 15-12 lead going into the second quarter.
The Trojans added a point to their lead at the half as it went in the halftime with a 27-23.
Leading Juniata by one with 33 ticks on the clock, Hartley hit a clutch triple, taking a 27-23 lead into the intermission.
Juniata came back offensively in the third quarter and was able to narrow the decor to one after the quarter ended.
Juniata goes into the next round while Mount Union is out of the running.
Girls basketball Everett 57, Juniata 27
MIFFLINTOWN – Sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way. Such was the case with the Juniata girls basketball team in their opening round District 6 playoff action against a tough 18-6 Everett team.
When you mix in a swarming Warrior defense, the results were not on the side of the Lady Indians as they fell in a tough 57-37 contest.
Everett was led by the high uptempo play of Sydney Reffner who posted a 25-plus effort in the win while defensively she was the leading cog in the defense as well.
However, it wasn’t all bad news for the Indians as they try to battle their way into a play-in game that could led them to a state appearance.