BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Moravian College women's basketball team came up short to nationally-ranked #13 Juniata College 63-60 in the Play 4Kay Breast Cancer Awareness Game. Junior guard Amanda Kreuder finished with 18 points, four rebounds and two steals.
Senior forward Alexandra Blair would get the Greyhounds (13-9, 6-5 Landmark) first points with a fade away jumper. Junior guard Natalie Glinsky answered right back for the Eagles (21-1, 11-0 Landmark) with a three-pointer to go up 4-2. Moravian responded right back with a three of its own from senior guard Hilary Murray to go up 5-4 two minutes in.
Freshman guard Alexis Wright would hit the turnaround layup to push the Greyhounds lead to 7-4 three minutes into the contest. Moravian would keep its fast paced offense going after an offensive rebound from sophomore guard Danielle Brogan and a quick put back to go up 11-8 with 14 minutes to go in the half.
After a steal from Glinsky, she would hit sophomore forward Kate McDonald for the fast break layup as Juniata took back the lead at 12-11. Senior guard Ashton Bankos would make a layup on the next possession to put the Eagles up 14-11 with 12:23 remaining in the first half.
Blair would grab her 652nd career rebound with 8:20 to go in the half, which moved her into eighth place all-time for career rebounds. On the next possession Glinsky would extend Juniata's lead to 21-14 with a three, but junior guard Kreuder would make two layups on back-to-back possessions to bring Moravian within three points of the lead at 21-18 with seven minutes left in the half.
Wright would make cut the Eagles lead to 21-20 after two made free throws with under six minutes to go in the half. Kreuder would give the lead back to the Greyhounds at 22-21 after a pull up jumper. Blair kept the pace up with a turnaround jumper to extend Moravian's lead to 24-21 with just under five minutes to go in the half. Wright would continue the Hounds scoring run with a layup of her own as Moravian found itself up 26-21 with 3:43 to play in the half.
Juniata would end the Greyhounds run with a jumper from the corner from McDonald with 2:35 left in the first half. Freshman guard Kelsey Livoti brought the Eagles within one point of the lead at 26-25 with 1:21 to go in the half. Both teams would exchange one more basket as the Greyhounds would take a 28-27 lead over #13 Juniata into the locker room.
Moravian shot 32-percent from the field while Juniata shot 29-percent from the field in the first half. The Eagles held the edge in rebounds 29 to 18, but the Greyhounds committed four less turnovers in the half. Kreuder led the way for Moravian with eight points while Glinsky led Juniata with seven points and four boards.
The Greyhounds would pick up right where they left off in the second half with a jumper from Blair to go up 30-27, but junior guard Jordan Speck responded with a three to knot the game at 30. Speck would put the Eagles back on top with a layup, but Murray answered with a layup of her own to tie the contest at 32 three minutes into the half.
Kreuder would hit the baseline jumper thirty seconds later to put the Greyhounds back on top 34-32. Glinsky would take the lead right back with a deep three from straight away five minutes into the half.
With 11:15 to go Murray would hit an easy jumper to bring Moravian within one point of the lead at 38-37. Kreuder would steal the pass and drive in for the fast break score to put Moravian up 41-40 with 8:44 remaining in the contest. After a Juniata timeout, freshman guard Alix Sellers made a jumper from the corner to take the lead right back on the next possession.
Sophomore forward Laura Jordan extended the Greyhounds lead to four points, but Speck answered with a three pointer to make the score 51-50, Moravian with 5:22 left in the game.
Back-to-back layups from Bankos and McDonald put Juniata back on top 57-54 with 2:27 left in the contest. A deep jumper from Glinsky would extend the Eagles lead to 59-54, but Blair would make the score 59-56 on the next possession with 1:21 remaining to play. Bankos would net one-of-two free throws with 26 seconds to play to give Juniata a 60-56 lead.
Sophomore guard Katie O'Rourke would make two foul shots to cut Moravian's deficit to 60-58 with 23 seconds left in the game. After two more free throws made from junior forward Alyssia Gordon, Murray would drive to the basket and make the shot to make the score 62-60 with 12 seconds to go. That would be all the Greyhounds had left as #13 Juniata would go onto win 63-60.
Blair finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and three blocks while Wright had six points and nine boards. Murray totaled nine points, three assists and three steals while O'Rourke had nine points and four rebounds.
McDonald led the way for the Eagles with a double-double off of 13 points and 14 rebounds. Speck finished with ten points while Glinsky totaled 13 points and six boards. Bankos had eight points while sophomore guard Jordan Hileman had nine rebounds and seven points.
The Greyhounds shot 38-percent from the field while the Eagles shot 33-perecent from the field for the game. Juniata held the rebounding edge 51 to 35 while Moravian committed four less turnovers in the contest.
Moravian returns to action Friday, February 10th when they travel to Landmark Conference foe Drew University. The game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
