HUNTINGDON, Pa. --- The Moravian University women's basketball team nearly rallied from a 15-point deficit in the second half before falling to host Juniata College, 57-52, in Landmark Conference action to end the 2023-24 regular season; however, the Greyhounds earned the sixth seed in the 2024 Landmark Conference Tournament Saturday with other action around the conference. 

How It Happened

• The Hounds jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on jumpers from senior forward Sam Osorio and freshman guard/forward Lizzie Lustig. The Eagles scored the next four points while Osorio sank a free throw for a 5-4 Moravian edge. Juniata countered with a 7-2 run to move ahead 11-7. Sophomore guard Juliana Vassallo drained a three-pointer to get the Blue & Grey within a point before the Eagles finished the quarter to lead 16-11 after ten minutes of action
• Juniata opened the scoring in the second period, but Moravian slowly chipped away and closed within a point at 20-19 on a lay-up by junior forward Brielle Guarente on a long lead pass from freshman center Grace Steffen. However, the Greyhounds did not score again in the half as the Eagles took a 29-19 edge to the locker room
• Juniata pushed its advantage to 15 points twice in the third quarter, and the Eagles led 42-29 after 30 minutes of action
• The Greyhounds began the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run with a lay-up by Steffen cutting the deficit to 42-37 with 7:33 still to play. However, Juniata pushed the lead back into double digits, and the Eagles led 53-43 with just under two minutes remaining. The Hounds got back within four points at 56-52 on a lay-up off a rebound by Lustig with just eight seconds left

Inside the Numbers

• Moravian had two players in double figures with Lustig netting a game-high 13 points to go with five rebounds
• Steffen scored ten points to go along with nine rebounds while Guarente finished with nine points, four boards and a pair of steals
• Osorio contributed seven points, seven rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots while Vassallo had six points and three boards
• Sophomore guard Jayda Cartagena added five points and two rebounds while junior guard Mikayla Anderson (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley HS) had two points and three assists and senior guard Reganne Flannery dished out a career high eight assists
• The Blue & Grey shot 23-of-62 from the field, 3-of-13 beyond the three-point line and 3-of-10 at the foul line
• Moravian had a 39-37 advantage on the boards including 10-5 on the offensive glass, and the Greyhounds forced the Eagles into 17 turnovers while committing 15 miscues
• The Hounds postseason berth is the 32nd appearance in 37 years under the direction of Head Coach Mary Beth Spirk

Up Next for the Greyhounds

• Tuesday, February 20 at Elizabethtown College in Landmark Conference Tournament First Round, 7:00 p.m.