With the win, Lebanon Valley (11-12, 5-7 CC) kept its Commonwealth Conference playoff hopes alive, as the Dutchmen moved to within a game of the final playoff spot. Elizabethtown College, which lost to Widener University on Saturday, is currently in fourth place in the conference at 6-6 with LVC, Juniata (10-13, 5-7 CC), and Susquehanna University, which lost to Albright College on Saturday, locked in a three-way tie for fifth place in the conference standings.
Junior guard Jimmy Curran shot 9-for-15 from the field and 7-for-8 at the foul line en route to a game- and career-high 27 points for the Dutchmen. Junior forward Dave Kasyan added a season-high 20 points to go with a game-high nine rebounds for LVC while shooting 10-for-14 at the charity stripe. Freshman guard Dan Hodge notched 10 points for LVC.
Senior guard Tommy McConnell led the Eagles with 24 points on 4-of-9 three-point shooting. Senior forward Travis Boyd posted 13 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for Juniata while junior center Chris Jasiota had 12 points and 10 boards.
Playing in his final regular season home game, senior forward Dan Hogan posted six points, eight rebounds, and four assists for Lebanon Valley. In his first collegiate start, senior guard Mike West scored three points while playing a career-high 14 minutes.
A free throw from Kasyan with 3:21 left gave Lebanon Valley its largest lead of the game at 72-60. However, a conventional three-point play from McConnell followed by back-to-back treys from junior guard Nick Hager amounted to a 9-0 Eagle run that made it 72-69 with 2:26 left.
After a Lebanon Valley turnover Juniata had a chance to tie it with 2:08 left, but a three-point attempt from Boyd was off the mark. That miss was the start of a 3-for-11 cold spell to end the game for Juniata, while LVC was icing the game at the foul line. Curran was 5-for-6 at the charity stripe over the final 2:05 while Kasyan connected on all six of his foul shots attempts during the stretch.
Neither team led by more than six in the first half, when there were three ties and seven lead changes. A three-pointer from sophomore forward Brian Cannon put Juniata in front 28-26 with 5:30 left in the period and the Eagles would not trail over the remainder of the stanza. Juniata held a 38-36 lead at the half.
The close play continued in the second half, as there were four ties and three lead changes over the first 7:17 of the final period. A free throw from Boyd with 12:43 on the clock tied it at 51-all, but a pair of Curran foul shots with 11:40 left gave the Dutchmen the lead for good. Curran’s free throws were the start of a 9-2 LVC run, capped by a Hodge trey, that gave the Valley some breathing room at 62-53 with 9:04 remaining.
McConnell kept the game from slipping away from Juniata, however, as he scored the next five points to pull the Eagles to within four (62-58) with 7:16 left. But that’s when the Dutchmen went on a 7-0 run to push their lead to 11 with 4:36 to go before Juniata’s late rally.
Lebanon Valley finished 29-for-41 at the foul line, setting season-highs for free throws attempted and made.
Juniata out-rebounded LVC 41-33.
Juniata College vs Lebanon Valley 2-11-06 1:00 p.m. at Annville, PA - LVC Gymnasium LEBANON VALLEY 84, JUNIATA COLLEGE 76 JUNIATA COLLEGE (10-13, 5-7 CC) Tommy McConnell 8-17 4-5 24; Travis Boyd 5-15 1-2 13; Chris Jasiota 4-11 4-4 12; Nick Hager 3-7 0-1 8; Brian Cannon 3-10 0-0 8; Neil Holloway 2-5 1-3 5; Kyle Opitz 1-1 0-2 2; Brent Ferko 1-2 0-0 2; Jeff Byer 1-2 0-0 2; Aaron Chamberlain 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 28-73 10-17 76. LEBANON VALLEY (11-12, 5-7 CC) Jimmy Curran 9-15 7-8 27; Dave Kasyan 5-9 10-14 20; Dan Hodge 3-6 3-4 10; Dustin Kerns 1-2 3-4 6; Dan Hogan 1-3 4-7 6; H. Bretschneider 2-3 0-0 6; Michael West 1-2 1-2 3; Kyle Enoch 1-2 0-0 3; Peter Ruth 1-2 0-0 2; Eric Humphrey 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-45 29-41 84. Juniata College............... 38 38 - 76 Lebanon Valley................ 36 48 - 84 3-point goals-Juniata College 10-29 (Tommy McConnell 4-9; Nick Hager 2-5; Travis Boyd 2-7; Brian Cannon 2-5; Aaron Chamberlain 0-3), Lebanon Valley 7-16 (Jimmy Curran 2-4; H. Bretschneider 2-3; Dan Hodge 1-3; Kyle Enoch 1-2; Dustin Kerns 1-2; Michael West 0-1; Dave Kasyan 0-1). Fouled out--Juniata College-Aaron Chamberlain, Lebanon Valley-None. Rebounds-Juniata College 41 (Travis Boyd 13), Lebanon Valley 33 (Dave Kasyan 9). Assists-Juniata College 16 (Aaron Chamberlain 4), Lebanon Valley 15 (Dan Hogan 4). Total fouls-Juniata College 26, Lebanon Valley 17. A-1214