Although the leaves are still falling off the trees, winter sports have begun for Elizabethtown College and the women’s basketball team kicked off their season with the Blue Jay Tournament at home this weekend. Etown got the chance to face the Marymount Saints in the tournament’s first round. The Blue Jays were neck and neck with the Saints early, being separated by only a possession until a 15-5 run by Etown brought them up by 10 to end the first quarter. Through the second quarter, the Saints continued to battle, keeping the score within reach; however, senior forward DaniRae Renno put on six of Etown’s 18 points to push the lead to 16 at the half. Etown came out of the halftime break strong with a 22-9 run in the third quarter, extending the lead beyond reach for the Saints.
Senior guard Summer McNulty, a two-time All-American, pushed the Blue Jays in their run with 15 points in the third off 62.5% shooting from the floor and two three-pointers. Elizabethtown finished off Marymount with a final score of 79 to 45, which was a strong performance to begin the season for the Blue Jays. McNulty finished the game with 21 points for Etown, followed by Renno with 10 and sophomore guard Kamryn Mengel with eight points. For Marymount, senior forward Ava Achtyl finished the game leading the Saints with 12 points on three for 9 shooting from the field. Etown’s defense held strong allowing zero three-pointers and only 31% on field goals by the Saints, forcing 22 turnovers as well.
With the win, Etown faced Ohio Wesleyan on Saturday who had previously beaten Widener by 31 to reach the finals. The Blue Jays and the Battling Bishops kept the lead close in the first quarter, with Etown gaining a 3-point lead to end the first. Summer McNulty started the game off with the hot hand, putting nine points past the Battling Bishops’ defense in the first quarter to gain the lead against Ohio Wesleyan. The Battling Bishops battled back after their first-quarter deficit, making the game tied at halftime at 28 each in a strong defensive battle by both teams.
To begin the second half, Ohio Wesleyan went on a 14-4 run to begin the third quarter, extending the lead; however, Etown climbed back, bringing the score to a seven-point deficit moving into the fourth quarter. This effort wasn’t enough as Ohio Wesleyan won the tournament with a 72 to 58 victory.
McNulty finished as the leading scorer for Etown with 16 points, while junior guard Makenna Mummert came off the bench with 14 points of her own. Sophomore forward Macy Miller finished the game with 22 points for the Battling Bishops, followed by graduate guard Kasey Schipfer who had a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double for Ohio Wesleyan. Etown will begin Landmark Conference play with a Wednesday night game at Catholic University in Washington DC on Nov. 20.
