The final Elizabethtown College men’s basketball game of the season did not live up to the expectations of the team, who having beaten Albright College in the past had hoped for a similar outcome. However, the team members, fans and parents expressed pride in the players for the determination that they showed when they had fallen behind.
The game started with the Lions winning the tip and scoring before 30 seconds had passed. By the first minute, the Blue Jays had recovered the points and the game began to pick up.
The name of the game became catch-up after this, as the team fell behind by nearly 20 points during the first half, only to come back within a single point twice during the second half.
Senior and former team member Ben Simms said he believed that if the team lessened the number of turnovers in the second half and strengthened their defense, the game would have been winnable.
The second half of the game found the team in a more aggressive mood. In the first two minutes, the Blue Jays outscored the Lions 5-0, bringing the score to 29-38. The percentage of completed free throws increased in the second half by 15 percent. The leading scorers were senior Ben Cable (9 points), junior Andrew Mantz (10 points) and sophomores Lee Eckert (13 points) and Tyler Simpkiss (13 points).
“Simpkiss sparked a rally during the second half, with three, 3-point shots in the first few minutes,” Dan Barnes, a Blue Jay fan, said.
After this, the game picked up and the team came within one point of Albright, where they stayed until the final minute of the game.
“In the second half, our defense adjustments went very well,” Assistant Coach Tim Decker said. “We shut them down from driving down the paint much better, relative to how we did in the first half.”
The team attributed some of their increased effort to the student section, which seemingly enlivened during the second half. A chorus of encouragement rang from the stands in an effort to boost the team’s morale. 
“They are always there for us, the six men,” Simpkiss said. “And I hope they keep it up next year.”
In the final seven minutes of the game, the score wavered between one- and five-point differences. Each turnover, jump shot and free throw in favor of Etown, encouraged cheers from the fans. At one point, the entire student section stood and shouted in support of the Blue Jays.
While the final game did not end in a win for the Blue Jays, the players and coaches expressed a belief that the team played hard and took from the experience many ideas on how to improve their game in future seasons. The team also showed good sportsmanship, helping players from the opposing team off the floor if they had fallen in the midst of a struggle for control of the ball. With a final score of 61-71, this loss brought the team record to 8-17 overall and 5-13 in the conference.
“I was disappointed in our start. I thought we came out a little flat and that got us behind,” Head Coach Bob Schlosser said. “But I was really impressed with our ability to fight back. I think we fought hard, gave ourselves a chance and that is all we can ask for at this point.”
Since it was the final home game, the team celebrated their graduating players by welcoming the students and their families onto the court. Senior Night recognized Cable, Joe Renzi, Tom O’Connell and Thomas Cooney, all of whom were four-year members of the team.
“A lot went into [the team,]” Cable said.  “I developed really strong relationships. It really became like a family, especially with the four seniors who have been there all four years.”
The seniors expressed a belief that the upcoming team was full of talent and would have a successful season next year if they kept working hard.