MILLERSTOWN -- Holding the Tri-Valley League kings without a field goal for 10 minutes in the second half was East Juniata's way of announcing its intentions.
The visiting Tigers absolutely dominated the final 10 minutes of Saturday night's TVL battle against Greenwood, scratching their way to a 45-35 victory over the Wildcats at Greenwood High School.
Bailey Coder posted a double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds, and fellow senior Nick Lorenz scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half for the Tigers (7-0, 5-0).
Tyler Fegley netted 16 for the Wildcats (6-3, 3-2) but fouled out with 3:36 remaining.
According to EJ coach Brock Anders, this was the Tigers' first victory at Greenwood since the mid-1980s. Kent Houser's Wildcats have won the last five TVL championships.
The hosts held a number of six-point leads, the final one coming after Lucas Grimm's layup with 2:10 left in the third quarter.
Greenwood wouldn't score another field goal until Seth Ferguson's 3-pointer in the final seconds of the game, as East Juniata closed the game on a 19-5 run.
PIVOTAL SEQUENCE
Lorenz answered Grimm's bucket with a leaner off a feed from Coder, and the Tigers' game-ending run was underway. A 3-pointer by Lorenz followed, and David Brantley's inside bucket had EJ up 31-30 after three quarters.
Jeremy Pannebaker banked home a 3-pointer early in the fourth, and Lorenz hit a jumper a few moments later for a 36-30 advantage.
Meanwhile, Greenwood couldn't get anything going offensively. Fegley, who scored 14 of his 16 in the first half, would soon foul out, and the Wildcats' leading scorer, Adam Harrison, was limited to six points overall by Lorenz.
The Wildcats missed their first 10 shots of the fourth quarter and officially went 10:08 between field goals. Only a pair of Harrison free throws with 59 seconds left added points to the scoreboard during that stretch.
STAT FRENZY
Coder, a 6-7 forward, already had his double-double by halftime (12 points, 11 rebounds). He added three blocks and two assists and finished 9-for-15 from the field. ... Lorenz was limited to one field goal in the first half but was able to turn it up in the second half. ... Greenwood led 21-20 at intermission. ... This was East Juniata's first game in nearly two weeks. ... Lorenz and Coder played the entire 32 minutes.
The Tigers enjoyed a 32-26 advantage on the glass despite not grabbing a single offensive rebound in the second half. ... Brantley was second on EJ with five rebounds, going along with his three points, five assists and two blocks. ... Fegley fouled out with 3:36 left, and teammate Nick Kerstetter fouled out a few minutes later. ... Harrison and Fegley led Greenwood with six rebounds each, with Joe Sheaffer and Noah Lebkicher each dishing out three assists. Fegley added a game-high four steals.
COACHES' COMMENTS
Anders on limiting Greenwood to 14 points in the second half: "Obviously team defense is very important and something we've definitely tried to stress over the years. Playing a team as disciplined as Greenwood, I thought the defense Nick played on Harrison, then the second-half adjustments we made on Fegley on the block, were crucial. Our guys have bought in to become an overall better basketball team."
Houser critiqued his team's second-half offense, saying they got away from actually "running their offense" and instead settling for too many individual plays. He added that Coder, one of the tougher matchups in the TVL, was a difference maker for the Tigers.