Hornets
| 01/23/26 vs West Branch | 62-43 |
| 01/19/26 vs Curwensville | 71-39 |
| 01/16/26 vs Mount Union | 62-59 |
| 01/15/26 @ Curwensville | 73-40 |
| 01/13/26 vs Glendale | 84-44 |
Juniata Valley waltzed into their contest on Friday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They took down the West Branch Warriors 62-43. Given the Hornets' advantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 305th, while the Warriors are ranked 673rd) , the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Juniata Valley's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jett Rand led the charge by dropping a double-double with 22 points and 11 boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Kyler Spurlin, who posted 17 points and six rebounds.
When it comes to explaining why West Branch lost, don't look at Dylan McGonigal. Despite the final result, he scored 19 points and seven boards. That was a full 44.2% of the Warriors' points, marking the seventh time in a row McGonigal has earned more than a third of the team's points. Caleb Hudson was another key player, putting up eight points and six rebounds.
Juniata Valley's win bumped their record up to 14-3. As for West Branch, they have been struggling recently as they've lost eight of their last nine matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-12 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Juniata Valley will face off against Southern Huntingdon County at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The Hornets' defense better be ready for this one: the Rockets have averaged an impressive 57.6 points per game this season. As for West Branch, they will challenge Glendale at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
