By: Jennifer Jones
Director of Sports Information
jonesj@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – After spending five games, and two and a half weeks on the road, the Juniata College women's basketball team finally returns home to the Kennedy Sports+Recreation Center. The Eagles (7-7, 0-3 Landmark) host Drew University in their first home game of the New Year and are looking to use the contest to get out of a slump.
"I'm hoping we can use it to our advantage," said head coach Danny Young-Uhrich of the homecoming. "It was a tough streak, traveling for all those games. I am looking forward to tomorrow; I know we'll have a pretty good crowd. I think it's what we need. We need a change in venue."
Juniata is 2-3 at home this season after dropping two games by less than four points towards the end of last year. They have not played in Memorial Gymnasium since the final day of the Comfort Inn Holiday Tournament December 30, 2013. The Eagles have gone 2-3 on their road trip, led in scoring by senior Kate McDonald (Pennsylvania Furnace, Pa./State College Area) and sophomorePaige Dennison (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs).
McDonald and Dennison have scored over 60 points, averaging 15.4 and 13.4 points per game, respectively. McDonald also averaged over 12 rebounds per game. She currently leads the league in points, rebounds and steals per game.
Making her presence felt back on the court has been sophomore Maria Photiades (Abbottstown, Pa./Delone Catholic). The guard shot .429 from the floor in the past two games and is putting in valuable minutes off the bench.
"Her energy is just so irreplaceable and that is one thing we did lose when she wasn't in," Young-Uhrich said Photiades. "She does help out at the guard position and on the defensive end. She has given some other people an opportunity to rest."
Drew (8-6, 1-2 Landmark) is being led in scoring by freshman Hannah Miller. The guard averages 18 points per game, shooting .369 from behind the arch with a league-leading 31 three-pointers. But the Rangers don't shy away from the paint. Their 6-1, sophomore center, Erin Howard, is second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.6 points per game off a .460 shooting percentage.
"They gave a lot of conference teams a run," Young-Uhrich added. "They always have a decent high-low game. They have a lot of kids playing well for them. They also have a lot of kids playing a lot of minutes, just like we do so I think it's going to be a good matchup for us."
Juniata is 12-1 all-time against the Rangers and have won nine straight dating back to the 2008-09 season. The teams have been facing each other since 1975. The Eagles are 6-0 under Young-Uhrich at home against Drew.
Follow Your Eagles! Stay up-to-date on your Juniata College Eagles by logging onto www.juniatasports.net. And don't forget to follow us on twitter (@JuniataEagles) and on Facebook (Juniata Eagles).