Mirror photo by Michael Boytim JV coach Elizabeth Radabaugh talks to her team during a timeout on Monday night.

By Michael Boytim

mboytim@altoonamirror.com

ALEXANDRIA — The Juniata Valley girls basketball team began the season 0-3 and lost those games by an average of 27 points.

The third loss, at Everett on Dec. 4, seemed like a long time ago Monday night as the Lady Hornets avenged that defeat with an eye-opening 61-39 victory that improved their record to 10-7.

“The beginning of the season was a little bit rough for us,” Juniata Valley coach Elizabeth Radabaugh said. “I think the biggest difference was our belief. We have been focused on this game for a week and a half now, and we have been ingraining that into them that we believe we can do it and win this game. Everybody on the team has shown so much growth since the beginning of the season. I believed this would be the game where it all came together.”

In the previous matchup, Everett won by 23 points. Brooklyn Harman’s layup as the final seconds in the fourth quarter ticked off the clock gave Juniata Valley a 22-point win this time.

“We have been on a winning streak recently, and that has amped up our energy,” Juniata Valley junior Anna Taylor said. “We have really gotten into it, and we have practiced really hard lately. We haven’t taken a single game lightly, no matter who it is, we have gone into the games with intensity.”

Juniata Valley won its fifth straight game since a loss to Williamsburg on Jan. 9, but even in that loss, the Lady Hornets gained confidence. Valley trailed by just one going into the half against the Lady Pirates, who played in the PIAA Class 1A semifinals last season.

“Practice,” Juniata Valley sophomore Aubrey Anderson said. “Practice makes you better. We’re capable of anything we put our minds to.”

Anderson appeared to be capable of about anything on Monday. She just missed out on a triple double with 13 points, eight rebounds and a remarkable 13 steals.

“Aubrey is incredible in that she’s able to continue to hustle and play so aggressively while moving her body in such a way that she can tip the ball without making contact with the person,” Radabaugh said. “She’s just an exceptional defender in that way. She’s shown time and time again that she’s able to keep her composure and play without fouling.”

Juniata Valley jumped out to a 15-point lead on Mazzy Hartman’s layup with 3:03 to play in the first half, but Everett put on a full-court press and scored 11 straight points. Kassidy Watson ended that run with a free throw, but Morgan Bowser’s layup with five seconds left cut the Lady Hornets’ lead to 27-24.

“We were prepared for them to press,” Radabaugh said. “It was just a matter of executing it and getting right into it at the change of possession. Sometimes we just need reminders of where we’re supposed to be, and it’s just important to remind them to stay calm with the pressure.”

Juniata Valley took much better care of the ball against the pressure in the second half and opened the third quarter on a 13-2 run to re-establish a big lead.

“We have been working on a press break,” Taylor said. “But we weren’t running it right. We switched it around at halftime and talked about it, ran it right and it worked.”

Anderson basically put the game away with a steal and a layup that put Juniata Valley back up by 15 with 4:21 to play.

“I think a lot of it is hustle,” Anderson said. “I just really love basketball, and I just want to do the best for my team.”

Taylor led the Lady Hornets with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Kirstin Feathers scored 10 points and had 12 rebounds for Everett, and Bowser scored a team-high 11 points as the Lady Warriors fell to 10-5.

Juniata Valley has games with two of the higher-seeded teams in District 6 Class 1A next week in Williamsburg and Saint Joseph’s and could meet up with either — or Bishop Guilfoyle Academy or Bishop Carroll Catholic — in the playoffs.

But the recent run of success and turning the tables on Everett has given the Lady Hornets confidence.

“The rest of our schedule is pretty big coming up,” Taylor said. “I have a lot of faith that we can do some damage and upset some teams.”

EVERETT (39): Colledge 3 0-0 9, Feathers 5 0-2 10, Wood 0 0-2 0, Levy 3 0-0 6, Bowser 4 3-4 11, Robertson 0 0-0 0, Dadetto 1 1-2 3. Totals — 16 4-10 39.

JUNIATA VALLEY (61): Watson 4 3-4 11, Taylor 6 5-8 20, Anderson 5 1-3 13, Russell 4 0-0 9, Fouse 1 0-2 2, Hartman 1 0-1 2, Harman 2 0-0 4, Sunderland 0 0-0 0, Walters 0 0-0 0, Foster 0 0-0 0. Totals — 23 9-18 61.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Everett 9 15 4 11 — 39

Juniata Valley 14 13 13 21 — 61

3-point goals: Everett 3 (Colledge 3); Juniata Valley 6 (Taylor 3, Anderson 2, Russell).

Records: Everett (10-5); Juniata Valley (10-7).

Officials: Alan Robinson, Klayton Heffner, Gwin Brower.

JV: No game.