(Posted November 22, 2005)

Juniata 79, Penn State-Altoona 55

Altoona, Pa. - The Juniata College women's basketball team limited Penn State-Altoona to 30-percent shooting from the field while scoring a season-best 79 points en route to a 70-55 victory in Altoona Tuesday night. After dropping their season opener, Juniata has claimed back-to-back wins to improve to 2-1. Penn State-Altoona is 1-1 on the season.

Kristen Kirk (Newport/Newport) scored a season-high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 from three-point range to lead Juniata's offensive effort.

After falling behind early in the game, Juniata took the lead at the 17:23 mark and led the rest of the way. The Eagles shot a blistering 51-percent from the first 20 minutes, while also knocking down half of their shots from long range, while limiting the home team to just seven field goals in the first stanza.

After a Penn State-Altoona three from Erin Shields pulled the home team to within 6:44 left in the first half, the Eagles exploded on a 16-2 run over the next three minutes to help Juniata extend its lead to 24 points. Ali Meckey (Bishop Carroll/Ebensburg) sparked the run with a three, and added three more of her 14 points during the stretch. The Eagles eventually took a 22-point lead into halftime.

Juniata came out of the locker room quickly as two early threes from Kirk and a Lesley Snoby (Johnstown/Johnstown) jumper pushed the visitor's lead to 35 points six minutes into the second half and the home team would get no closer than 24 points the rest of the way.

Juniata's defense registered 15 steals in the game to help spearhead its defense and help spark its offense. Meckey posted five thefts to lead the way.

Katie O'Brien (South Western/Hanover) added nine points and seven rebounds for Juniata, while Jess Winemiller (Dallastown/York) led the team with nine rebounds. Five players finished with two assists for the Eagles.

Brittany Poorman led Penn State-Altoona with 16 points and eight rebounds. Jill Murray added 10 points for the Lions.

Juniata gets back into action this weekend with two games in a tournament at New York University.

JUNIATA (79): Meckey 4 3-3 14, Walsh 1 1-1 3, Kirk 7 2-2 20, Winemiller 2 1-2 5, O'Brien 4 1-1 9, Callas 1 0-0 2, Milheim 1 0-0 2, Rhoads 0 0-0 0, Piccolini 1 0-0 3, Werner 2 0-0 4, Ritchey 1 1-3 3, Hauser 0 0-0 0, Ashcraft 0 2-6 2, Hatch 2 0-0 4, Snoby 4 0-0 8. Totals - 30 11-18 79.

PENN STATE-ALTOONA (55): Murray 1 8-11 10, Curley 3 0-1 7, Shields 2 0-0 5, Haulman 0 2-2 2, Gardner 0 0-0 0, Fogelsonger 0 1-2 1, Mielnik 0 0-0 0, McGowan 2 0-0 6, Makings 0 0-2 0, Poorman 7 2-2 16, Tanoe 0 1-2 1, Simon 0 0-0 0, Twardon 0 6-6 6, Davis 0 1-2 1. Totals - 15 21-30 55.

Halftime: Juniata 48-26. 3-point goals: Juniata 8 (Kirk 4, Meckey 3, Piccolini); Penn State-Altoona 4 (McGowan 2, Curley, Shields). Assists: Juniata 13 (Meckey, Kirk, O'Brien, Werner, Snoby 2); Penn State-Altoona 8 (Poorman, Twardon 2). Rebounds: Juniata 32 (Winemiller 9) Penn State-Altoona 28 (Poorman 8).

Records: Juniata (2-1); Penn State-Altoona (1-1).
###

Our readers respond...

Be the first to provide a response.

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