The East Juniata Tigers posted their biggest win since December 4, 2023 on Monday. Everything went their way against Newport as East Juniata made off with a 57-32 win. That result was just more of the same for these two, as East Juniata also won the last time the pair played back in December of 2023.
Leading East Juniata to victory were Clark Ritzman and Wrett Smith. Ritzman scored 14 points along with five assists and five rebounds, while Smith scored 21 points. Ritzman is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last four games he's played. Jaiden May was another key contributor, scoring three points along with five assists.
Newport's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Landon Zaring, who scored five points along with eight rebounds. Zaring has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times he's played. Another player making a difference was Tyler Gardner, who scored 11 points.
Even though they lost, Newport smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as East Juniata only pulled down five offensive rebounds.
East Juniata's win bumped their record up to 6-11. As for Newport, they are on a eight-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 3-16.
East Juniata will be playing at home against Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Pennsylvania (Saint Joseph's Catholic Academy is ranked 701st, while East Juniata is ranked 684th). As for Newport, they will head out on the road to challenge Line Mountain at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Line Mountain is coming into the contest hot, having won their last four games.
