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Juniata gets past Midd-West

Rush, Shepps combine for 29 points in win

Sentinel photo by TIM SHUMAKER
Midd-West’s Alexis Walter blocks Juniata’s Mackenzie Bennett’s (10) shot in a nonleague girls basketball game Wednesday in Mifflintown.

Editor’s note: The photo caption accompanying this story has been updated to correct player identifications.

MIFFLINTOWN — It’s often not about how one starts, but how one finishes. For Juniata it happened to be a case of both.

The Indians put together their best scoring performances in the first and fourth quarters to get a 55-36 win over Midd-West in nonleague girls basketball Wednesday night.

They put together a 16-4 run to close out the opening frame, but that didn’t hamper the Mustangs’ offense any. In fact, Midd-West (0-7) was happy with the amount of shots it was able to take in the contest, but the Mustangs just couldn’t get a majority of them to land.

“We’re really struggling shooting this year, and in every game we’re working to get better with our shooting,” Midd-West coach Lisa Wagner said. “We get frustrated with that but have been known to play solid defense. Tonight, we shot the ball better and we continue to remain competitive in games.”

Midd-West went on an 11-3 run to start the second quarter to pull within three on the Indians in the final minutes of the first half. The Indians, though, finished out the first half with a 10-point lead.

Both teams had their frustrations offensively and left each coach knowing there is still work to be done.

“It was little game of cat and mouse early, but we have to avoid those stretches where we give teams extra chances on the offensive end and bad passing,” Juniata coach Kevin Kodish said. “We frustrated ourselves. It was stuff we have to do a better job at.”

For much of the constest, Wagner was yelling for her team to slow down and focus on fundmentals such as coverage assignments, looking for teammates when the Indians’ defenders were closing in, shooting when the opportunity is present and controlling the boards by boxing out and coming up with the rebounds.

She wasn’t shy to harp on that after the game, either.

“I’ll take games where we score 36 points because that’s definitely a postive,” she said. “We were playing good defense, but we just got lazy running back and that cost us. Fouling cost us a few points and we can’t have that. They just need to keep their heads up.

“We gave up too many easy layups and rebounds. It’s about the little things. The shots are going to come and I know it’s frustrating for them, especially when the ball goes in and just comes back out.”

Juniata (6-4) was led by Mya Rush who finished with a game-high 15 points and Rowe Shepps who finished with 14. Rush accounted for all three of the Indians’ 3-pointers — something Wagner knew would happen if the Mustangs weren’t ready.

“The first thing I said in the locker room was if (Rush) comes into the game, we don’t let her shoot a three. We end up giving her three. We can’t do that,” she said.

Rush was the biggest factor in the Indians’16-point fourth quarter, helping put the game out of reach by scoring eight points in the frame.

Kodish was pleased with the duo’s combined 29 points, but was even happier to see a team play together despite one of its starters being out for the foreseeable future.

“Mya Rush had some big 3-point shots for us to open it up and Rowe Shepps played a solid game all night long on both sides of the court,” Kodish said. “Malin Kint was in some foul trouble throughout, but she stayed in and I thought she did a great job controlling the paint offensively. Chloe Zendt did a good job and we got Mackenzie Bennett the ball a lot tonight as we try to mix it up a bit and find our way around without Olivia Clark in the lineup.”

Alyssa Keister and Zoe Webb each finished with a team-high nine points for the Mustangs while Shayla Heckman had eight.

The Mustangs won the JV game, 28-18.

Juniata travels to East Juniata while Midd-West hosts Milton, both Friday.

Juniata 55, Midd-West 36

MIDD-WEST

Rylee Shawver 1 0-0 2, Shayla Heckman 3 2-3 8, Alyssa Keister 4 0-0 9, Zoe Webb 4 1-4 9, Jenna Paige 1 0-0 2, Alexis Walter 2 0-0 6. Totals: 15 3-7 36.

3-point goals: Walter 2.

Did not score: Makenna Deitz, Gabby Selleck.

JUNIATA

Rowe Shepps 6 2-4 13, Katey Martin 1 0-0 2, Mackenzie Bennett 3 2-3 8, Mya Rush 5 2-3 15, Chloe Zendt 2 3-4 7, Laney Dowling 1 0-0 2, Talon Walton 0 1-2 1, Malin Kint 3 0-0 6. Totals: 21 10-16 55.

3-point goals: Rush 3.

Did not score: Mackenzie Beward, Ashlyn Pannebaker.

Score by quarters

Midd-West 7-11-11-7 — 36

Juniata 18-9-12-16 — 55

Girls basketball

Hollidaysburg 58, Mifflin County 53 (OT)

HOLLIDAYSBURG — Mifflin County stayed close to Hollidaysburg in a nonleague girls basketball game Wednesday, but crucial moments were the difference in the Golden Tigers’ 58-53 overtime win.

“We had opportunities to win it,” Huskies coach Roger Herto said. But working backward, the chances were taken away. On an inbounds late in overtime, looking for a three, the screens were up too early and the Huskies couldn’t get the ball where they needed it.

At the end of regulation, they lost Hannah Aumiller — status unknown — for more than a minute and the extra period.

And, he said, “We were kind of handcuffed all night. We were in foul trouble from the time we got to the gym.”

Molly Wagoner’s 26 points led the game.

Kolbi Knode scored 12 to lead the JV squad in a 40-34 win.

Mifflin County (3-7) hosts Carlisle Friday.

Hollidaysburg 58, Mifflin County 53 (OT)

MIFFLIN COUNTY

Hannah Aumiller 1 2-2 5, Fern Silfies 1 0-0 2, Sarah Shilling 1 0-0 2, Kolbi Knode 1 0-0 3, Hannah Rittenhouse 1 1-4 4, Brianna Bodtorf 3 3-3 9, Morgan Weston 1 0-0 2, Molly Wagoner 9 8-8 26. Totals 18 14-17 53.

3-point goals: Aumiller, Knode, Rittenhouse.

Did not score: Katelyn Knable.

HOLLIDAYSBURG

Janessa Goins 1 1-2 3, Sierra McClain 5 2-3 13, Hanna Snyder 4 4-4 13, Allison Hilemas 4 6-6 16, Alyssa Bell 3 2-2 9, Taylor Smith 2 0-0 4. Totals 19 15-17 58.

3-point goals: McClain, Snyder, Hilemas 2, Bell.

Score by quarters

Mifflin County 17-6-14-10-6 — 53

Hollidaysburg 18-11-9-9-11 — 58

Boys basketball

East Juniata 50, Benton 17

COCOLAMUS — Xavier Clement scored 11 points and Evan Reichenbach 10 as East Juniata tossed Benton, 50-17, in a nonleague boys basketball game Wednesday.

It was a two-win night for the Tigers, who went 48-28 in the JV game behind 14 points from Gannon Ryan.

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