(Posted January 7, 2006)

Juniata 79, Grove City 57

HUNTINGDON, Pa. ? Jess Winemiller (Dallastown/York) matched her career-high with 26 points help move the Juniata College women?s basketball team above .500 with a 79-57 win over Grove City College in Memorial Gym Saturday afternoon.

Winemiller shot 11-of-16 from the field and 3-of-3 from the line as the Eagles shot 47-percent from the field in the game. Juniata is now 7-6 on the season. It was the third time this season and seventh time in her career Winemiller has topped 20 points.

After leading 34-28 at the half, Grove City chipped away at Juniata?s advantage, tying the score twice, and then taking the lead on a Brittany Anderson lay-up at the 14-minute mark. Juniata moved back in front on an Ali Meckey (Bishop Carroll/Ebensburg) three before Anderson scored again to give the visitors a 47-46 edge with 13:21 left.

From that point, Juniata took control with its pressure defense as Juniata ripped off a 14-0 run over the next six minutes to take a commanding 60-47 lead. Winemiller scored eight points during the stretch and the Eagles? defense forced seven turnovers over the period. Grove City turned the ball over 23 times in the contest, 13 of which came in the second half. The Wolverines were also held without a field goal for nearly 13 minutes in the second half.

After taking the 60-47 lead, the Eagles maintained a lead of at least 12 points the rest of the way.

Meckey finished with 13 points for the Eagles, while Courtney Callas (Freeport/Sarver) added 11 points in the win. Kelly Ashcraft (State College/Bellefonte) grabbed nine rebounds to pace the team and Mindy Werner (West York/York) dished out five assists.

Anderson finished with 20 points to lead Grove City while also grabbing six rebounds. Rachel McCoy added 17 points and finished with a team-high eight rebounds. Raeann Szelong notched a game-high six assists.

Juniata will return to action with a conference game at Elizabethtown on Tuesday evening. It will be the first of 12-consecutive conference games Juniata will play to close the regular season.

GROVE CITY (57): Overforff 1 2-2 5, Hess 1 2-3 4, Bogusz 2 2-2 6, Anderson 7 5-7 20, McCoy 6 5-7 17, Szelong 0 1-2 1, Skarupa 0 1-4 1, Nielsen 0 0-0 0, Wiley 1 1-2 3, Roberts 0 0-0 0. Totals ? 18 19-29 57

JUNIATA (79): Meckey 5 0-0 13, Walsh 0 0-1 0, Kirk 4 0-0 9, Winemiller 11 3-3 26, O?Brien 1 0-2 2, Callas 4 2-3 11, Werner 0 4-4 4, Ashcraft 2 4-4 8, Snoby 2 2-2 6. Totals ? 29 15-19 79.

Halftime: Juniata 34-28. 3-point goals: Grove City 2 (Overdorff, Anderson); Juniata 6 (Meckey 3, Kirk, Winemiller, Callas). Assists: Grove City 12 (Szelong 6); Juniata 19 (Werner 5). Rebounds: Grove City 37 (McCoy 8); Juniata 42 (Ashcraft 9).

Records: LaRoche (3-9), Juniata (7-6)

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