ALEXANDRIA — There has been no question that this season has been a major improvement for the Curwensville Golden Tide. With seven games left in the season, and with a winning record for the first time all year, Curwensville headed on the road Monday night for a showdown against the Green Hornets of Juniata Valley.
The trip to Alexandria would be a tough one for the team clad in black, as despite having a strong effort on both sides of the ball, the Tide would fall in a 75-56 final.
Coming out the gate, both squads were finding the basket, going shot-for-shot, and it was Curwensville getting the early one-possession lead after eight minutes, 14-11.
That’s when the Green Hornets began having some success, and Curwensville’s momentum halted. A key change in the game came during the second quarter when Juniata Valley’s Chris Deihl went for a bucket hard into the paint, with Parker Wood defending. He would not get the bucket, but drew the foul and Wood took exception to it. Officials would call a technical on Wood, giving Deihl a chance at a four-point play as he got four free throws with no one around. He made all four, and the Green Hornets would get possession to add to the pain. Deihl would finish the night with a game-high 22 points, one of four Green Hornets in double figures.
Curwensville would be held to nine points in the second quarter, heading into halftime down 34-23.
The Tide recovered in the third, cutting the lead to three possessions, however would not have an answer in the final quarter as the Green Hornets put up another 27 points to secure the win.
Wood ultimately led in scoring for Curwensville with 16 points, while Chandler English added in 15 more and Davis Fleming accounted for 10. The Tide struggled at the foul line all night, going just 5-for-11.
On the opposite side, along with Deihl, Charley Mattis (19), Reid Edwards (13) and Conner Robinson (10) also made double figures.
Curwensville (8-8) has only one other game this week, with a lot of time to adjust and fix any struggles. That will come on Friday night with another road trip, this one to Williamsburg. The Blue Pirates got the better of Curwensville back on January 4, 61-45, inside Patton Hall.
SCORE BY QUARTER
Curwensville 14 9 17 16 – 56
Juniata Valley 11 23 14 27 – 75
Curwensville – 56
Andrew Wassil 1 1-2 4, Louis Tkacik 0 0-0 0, Dan McGarry 2 3-4 6, Grant Swanson 0 0-0 0, Davis Fleming 4 1-2 10, Chandler English 7 1-2 15, Hunter Tkacik 2 0-0 5, Ty Colton 0 0-0 0, Parker Wood 8 0-1 16, Ayden Sutika 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 24 5-11 56.
Juniata Valley – 75
Chris Deihl 7 7-8 22, Conner Robinson 5 0-0 10, Eli McFadden 1 1-2 3, Reid Edwards 6 1-2 13, Charley Mattis 8 2-2 19, Kendan Beck 0 0-0 0, Ayden Bark 1 1-2 3, Gavin Musser 0 0-0 0, Jett Rand 2 0-0 5, Dakota Baumia 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 30 12-16 75.