(Posted December 5, 2006)

GROVE CITY, Pa. - A Kelly Ashcraft (State College/Bellefonte) offensive rebound and put-back with two minutes remaining proved to be the deciding basket as Juniata held off a late-game run to earn a 55-53 non-conference victory over Grove City Tuesday night. Juniata improved to 6-1 with the victory while the Wolverines fell to 0-6 with the loss. Ashcraft finished with 13 points and a career-best 13 rebounds for her second career double-double with her final points and rebound coming at the 2:11 mark when her put-back gave Juniata a three-point lead. A free throw from Brittany Anderson cut the Juniata lead back to two, but then three Courtney Callas (Freeport/Sarver) free throws put the game away. Callas led Juniata with 14 points in the game, several of which came as the Eagles built an 11-point lead late in the second half. Juniata led by eight at the half, but Grove City rallied quickly after intermission, pulling in front by two on a three from Raeann Szelong with 16:30 remaining in the half. After exchanging the lead several times over the next six minutes threes from Callas and Ali Meckey (Bicshop Carroll/Ebensburg) gave Juniata a 50-39 lead with 6:55 left. The Wolverines countered with a 9-0 run, eight of which came from Elyse Bogusz which pulled the home team within one, before Ashcraft\'s hoop helped lead Juniata to the win. The Eagles earned the win despite shooting just 29 percent from the field and 59 percent from the foul line for game. Juniata did its work on the offensive glass where the Eagles had 15 rebounds, seven of them from Ashcraft, and also forced Grove City into 24 turnovers. Meckey was also in double figures for Juniata on the game with 12 points. Jill Walsh (Ferndale/Johnstown) paced the team with three assists, while Claudia McDowell (Juniata Valley/Alexandria) had five steals. Bogusz led all players with 21 points in the contest and also a team-high eight rebounds. Rachel McCoy also reached double figures with 10 points on the game while Bogusz was also the team leader with two assists. Juniata plays its final game before the school\'s winter break next Tuesday when the team travels to play LaRoche. ###

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