Juniata is 10-0 against Newport since December of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. The Juniata Indians will look to defend their home court against the Newport Buffaloes at 7:30 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Juniata suffered their biggest defeat yet this season on Friday. They took a serious blow against Halifax, falling 69-31.
Meanwhile, Newport's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Monday after their fifth straight loss. They ended up on the wrong side of a rough 64-43 walloping at the hands of Halifax. While losing is never fun, Newport can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Pennsylvania basketball rankings (they are ranked 728th, while Halifax is ranked 312th).
Despite the defeat, Newport saw an underclassman step up: Landon Zaring scored seven points along with seven rebounds and two steals. Zaring 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. Another player making a difference was Ruben Moreno, who scored eight points along with five steals.
Juniata has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost four of their last five games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-6 record this season. As for Newport, their loss dropped their record down to 3-13.
Juniata was able to grind out a solid win over Newport in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, winning 37-28. Will Juniata repeat their success, or does Newport have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
