Freshman center Grace Steffen dribbles during the first half versus Juniata College in Johnston Hall.
Freshman center Grace Steffen dribbles during the first half versus Juniata College in Johnston Hall.
January 3, 2024

Greyhounds Rally in Fourth for Landmark Conference Win over Juniata

BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University women’s basketball squad rallied from a two-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter for a 53-50 victory over visiting Juniata College in Landmark Conference action Wednesday afternoon in a raucous Johnston Hall with the entire student body from William Penn Elementary School and the fifth graders from Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in attendance.

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BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University women's basketball squad rallied from a two-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter for a 53-50 victory over visiting Juniata College in Landmark Conference action Wednesday afternoon in a raucous Johnston Hall with the entire student body from William Penn Elementary School and the fifth graders from Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in attendance.

How It Happened

  • The Greyhounds needed just four seconds off the opening tip as junior forward Brielle Guarente took the tip from senior forward Sam Osorio in for a quick lay-up. Freshman guard Lizzie Lustig added a lay-up for a 4-0 lead before the Eagles scored with just under seven minutes left in the first period. Juniata scored five more points to take an 8-4 edge while the Hounds would get just a free throw from Osorio with ten seconds left in the quarter as the Eagles led 8-5 after ten minutes of action
  • The Blue & Grey began the second quarter with a 9-0 run to retake the lead. Lustig had a traditional three-point play to open the scoring in the period, and a jumper from Guarente at the 6:50 mark had Moravian up 14-8. Juniata netted the next five points, the Eagles' only points of the quarter, while Guarente three free throws to send the Hounds to the locker room with a 17-13 advantage
  • Osorio hit a lay-up to push the Greyhounds' back to six points at the start of the third quarter; however, Juniata eventually knotted the score at 21-21 nearing the midpoint of the period. The squads would see three ties and five lead changes of the rest of the quarter with the Eagles holding a 37-35 edge after 30 minutes of play with a buzzer beating three-pointer
  • Osorio connected on a three-point play just 14 seconds into the fourth quarter as Moravian retook the lead for good. The Hounds netted the first nine points of the final period for a 44-37 lead, and the Blue & Grey led by as many as eight points after a jumper from freshman center Grace Steffen with just over a minute to play

Inside the Numbers

  • Moravian had three players in double figures led by Guarente, who tossed in 16 points to tie her career high and go along with five rebounds and three steals
  • Osorio added 14 points, nine boards, a career-high seven blocked shots and a pair of steals while Steffen recorded her second double-double of the season with 12 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots
  • Lustig finished with five points and six rebounds while sophomore guard Jayda Cartagena contributed six boards, three points and two steals
  • Sophomore guard Juliana Vassallo also had three points while senior guard Reganne Flannery recorded four rebounds, three assists and three steals
  • The Hounds shot 16-for-52 from the field, just 1-for-11 beyond the three-point line and 20-for-28 at the charity stripe
  • The Blue & Grey finished with a 44-35 advantage on the boards, and the Greyhounds blocked 11 shots and made 13 steals

Up Next for the Greyhounds

  • Saturday, January 6 at Lycoming College, 3:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, January 10 vs. No. 5 The University of Scranton, 7:00 p.m.