(Posted February 12, 2002)

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Senior Shane Crandall (North Allegheny/Doylestown), a guard on the men's basketball team, and senior guard Kelly Grove (Penns Valley/Spring Mills) of the women's basketball team, were named the Juniata College "Athletes of the Month" for January.

Crandall has been a leader on the court for the Eagles all season. He posted 23 points, three rebounds and three steals during Juniata's January 8 match-up with conference rival Susquehanna. He continued to record big numbers when his squad hosted Elizabethtown on January 12. Crandall tallied 22 points and five rebounds, while shooting 7 of 10 from the field and hitting on all four of his attempts from the free throw line. The Eagles traveled to play Moravian on January 19, where he dropped in 19 points, while shooting 5 of 10 from behind the three-point line and dishing out four assists. He netted 17 points in a contest at Dickinson on January 28 to round out the month. Crandall drilled 6 of 11 attempts from the field, which included his four-of-nine shooting from three-point land.

For the month, Crandall posted 15.1 points a game, pulled down 2.5 rebounds a contest and dished out 2.1 assists per game. In addition, he shot 34.2 percent from behind the three-point line (25 of 73), while making good on 74.4 percent of his free-throw attempts. Overall for the year, Crandall is second on the team in scoring average (13.5), but leads the team in assists per game (2.23) and minutes per game (30.9).

Juniata is currently 9-12 on the season and will next be in action on Saturday evening when the Eagles play host to Albright for an 8:00 p.m. tip-off.

Grove averaged 8.9 points, 2.9 steals, 2.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game during the month of January. She reached double figures in scoring in four of nine outings and passed out three-or-more assists four times as well.

Grove started her solid play on January 12 against visiting Elizabethtown. She scored 13 points on 5 of 11 shooting from the field, while pulling down four rebounds, grabbing four steals and dishing out two assists. She continued her ways five days later against Penn-State Altoona where she had five rebounds and three assists and 11 points against the Lady Cougars. In the team's next outing, a contest at Moravian on January 19, Grove posted a month-high 20 points. She shot four of eight from three-point range and six of eight from the free throw line while pulling down three rebounds and grabbing three steals. She reached double figures again in the point department, with 11, while the Eagles hosted Lebanon Valley on January 23. In addition, she had five more steals.

Grove is currently second on the squad, averaging 8.8 points per game and is second on the team in steals averaging 2.2 takeaways an outing.

The Eagle women are currently 10-11 overall and will next be in action this evening (Wed.) against visiting Susquehanna at 7:00 p.m.

The Juniata College "Athlete of the Month" award is sponsored by McDonald's of Huntingdon and Mount Union. Barb and John Eastman, who own and operate the local McDonald's restaurants, provide the winners with plaques.

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.