HUNTINGDON, PA (December 30, 2024) -- In the opening round of the Juniata Holiday Tournament on Monday night, the King's College women's basketball team fell, 70-55, to the host Juniata College. The Monarchs drop to 3-7 overall, while the Eagles improve to 4-5.
 
After King's (3-7) went inside to Lauren Casey in the paint for the first four points of the game, the host Juniata (4-5) rattled of the next five to close out the first quarter of action on a 21-5 run.
 
It was again Casey to get the scoring started in the second off a feed from Alli Lindsay, but the Eagles went on a 9-2 rally to jump ahead, 30-13, with 4:12 left in the half. A triple from Cadie Lewis with 3:54 remaining go the Monarchs back in the scoring column, and a mark from the charity stripe by Layla Orth served as the final point in the half as King's trailed, 30-17, at the break.
 
Juniata turned the tides to strike first in the third, but King's found their stride as they went on to score the next nine points, fueled by four from Juleesah Hines and five from Lewis to close within five, 32-27, with 6:56 to go in the quarter. The Eagles had the next edge, scoring six tallies to just two by King's in the next stretch before both teams went cold from the floor. A free throw again by Layla Orth recharged the offenses, but the Monarchs continued to trial, 46-33, heading into the final quarter of action.
 
The teams traded early scores with the King's pulling within 10, 48-38, on a three from Gianna Dickson with 8:45 remaining, but a costly 11-0 spurt by the Eagles would give them the margin they needed to hold off the Monarch comeback as King's dropped the 70-55 decision in the opening round of the Juniata Holiday Tournament.
 
Casey led the scoring with 10 points, adding four boards, two assists, and two blocks, while Lewis added nine points, four rebounds, and two helpers. Dickson posted eight points, two dimes, and a steal, and Hines tallied eight points, a team-high seven boards, and two steals. Lindsay tacked on her own eight points with five rebounds, three assists, and two steals, while Layla Orth came off the bench to tally nine points. Additionally, Kathy Shepherd grabbed six boards as well off the pine.
 
Haily Sherman paced the Eagles with 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal, while Bri Bodtorf added 16 points, eight rebounds, four steals, and  two assists.
 
King's handed out 12 assists on their 19 field goals, while the defense forced 14 Eagles turnovers and limited the hosts to just 18.8% (3-16) from beyond the arc.
 
The Monarchs will take on Westminster (Pa.) in the consolation game of the Juniata Holiday Tournament tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Westminster dropped the night cap of the opening day to Salisbury University, 68-45.