Elgin, Ill.- After having an eight-point lead at the half, Judson University (2-3) was outscored, 37-26, in the second half as Huntington University (4-1) came back for a 62-59 win over the Eagles. Judson had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer but the shot banked off the back board.
Marissa Marshall led JU with 12 points while Devonaye Henderson had 10. Kirstin Johns had six rebounds. Huntington’s Courtney Beerbower led all scorers with 20 points.
In the first half, JU had as large as a 12-point lead. After the game was tied at eight with 12:57 left, JU went on a 24-12 run in the next 10 minutes for a 32-20 lead. In the final 2:21, JU only scored on a free throw as HU cut the lead to eight, 33-25.
HU hit five of their first six shots of the second half in the first five minutes for an 11-2 run to take the lead, 36-35. Over the next three and half minutes there were four lead changes with the game tied at 43 with 11:59 remaining. In the next minute, HU had a 5-0 run for a 48-43 lead. JU answered with an 8-0 run in just under two minutes to take a three-point lead, 51-48, on a Henderson jumper. JU kept their lead for the next three and half minutes until HU tied the game for the eighth time at 55 with 5:37 remaining. HU took a three-point lead, 59-56, with 3:36 left only to see the game be tied again with 3:22 left on a Crystal Goodall three-pointer. That was the final shot made by JU as they had five missed shots and two turnovers in those final 3:22. With 00:02 left in the game, JU had a chance to tie the game but John’s three-point attempt banged off the back board to end the game.
JU shot well from the free throw line (81%) but made only 30% from the three-point line and 43% from the floor. HU made 50% of their shots from the floor and three-point range but only 46% from the stripe. JU was out rebounded 32-29, but had more steals, 8-3.
Judson now faces another top 25 team in #18 Iowa Wesleyan on Saturday, November 24th, at 1:00 p.m. in Iowa. JU knocked off #11 Taylor University to start the 2007 season.
