The Elizabethtown College women’s basketball team hosted their last regular season matchup against a Landmark Conference opponent in Catholic University on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The Blue Jays came into the matchup holding onto the fourth seed in the conference, behind the likes of The University of Scranton, Susquehanna University and their opponent, Catholic University.
Earlier in the season, the Blue Jays went on the road against the Cardinals, losing in the matchup by 19. Etown was seeking some revenge in this game as the Blue Jays were eyeing the playoffs in a week. A win on the evening would propel the Blue Jays into the third seed spot, giving them the momentum they needed to carry themselves into the playoffs.
The Blue Jays jumped out to a hot start early with seniors Makenna Mummert, Ellie Fasick and Allyia Kennedy all scoring paint points to start the contest. Catholic was able to sink a few threes to retake the lead halfway through the first quarter. Kennedy gave the Blue Jays a seven point lead after converting an and-one and scoring another layup with 50 seconds remaining in the quarter. The Cardinals put together two quality possessions to end the quarter, closing the gap to three points as the Blue Jays led 19-16.
Etown didn’t let the late quarter surge hinder their progress as Mummert and sophomore Kiley Wilhelm added layups to begin the quarter to continue the scoring efforts. The Blue Jays were able to make key defensive stops, holding Catholic to only eight points in the quarter before the halftime break. Catholic tried to reduce the deficit to only one, however, a strong defensive effort by the Blue Jays gave them a three-point lead heading into the halftime break.
Catholic gave the Blue Jays a run for their money in the third quarter, tying the game at 31 with six minutes to go. Etown was able to find some footing with their offense, bursting out to an 8-0 run as Wilhelm and senior Ella Gordon both contributed three points in the short two minute run. Catholic attempted to claw back, however, Wilhelm was able to extend the Blue Jay lead to 10, the largest of the game. The Cardinals sank a free throw before the end of the fourth quarter, giving Etown a nine-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes of the game.
The Cardinals started off the fourth with a small scoring run, reducing the Etown lead to as little as four points. The Blue Jays were able to hold on as Mummert buried a layup, giving the team an eight-point lead. Catholic didn’t give up, going on an 8-0 run and hitting the game-tying three pointer with 34 seconds to go. After a timeout, the Blue Jays had a shot to take a late lead and seal the game against the #2 seeded Cardinals. Wilhelm had an opportunity and was fouled as she took her shot. The sophomore forward sank both of her free throws and as time expired, the Blue Jays had upset Catholic at home 58-56.
Kennedy led the Blue Jays, stuffing the box score with 15 points and 18 rebounds, a career-high in rebounds. Gordon followed behind Kennedy, contributing 13 points and six assists. Mummert continued her strong season with 11 points and Wilhelm added 12 points and nine rebounds off of the bench. Fasick rounded out her evening with seven points and six assists, playing a key role by limiting Catholic’s leading scorer to 4-15 shooting and only eight points from the floor.
The Blue Jays continue their season with a playoff matchup against Drew University on Feb. 24. With a win at home, the Blue Jays will take on Susquehanna on the road on Feb. 26.
