The women’s basketball team qualified for the Division III National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Women’s Basketball Tournament in Newport News, Va. for the second year in a row two weeks ago. They made some noise in the tournament, but their run ended on Saturday, March 4 after a duel with #1 seeded Christopher Newport University.
The Blue Jays kicked off their tournament run in convincing fashion. Their opening matchup was against #21 Stevens University on Friday, March 6 and Etown took care of business, winning by double digits, 79-68. Sophomore guard Summer McNulty led the Blue Jays offense with 24 points and junior guard Cyleigh Wilson contributed a crucial 15 points, draining four three balls. Sophomore forward DaniRae Renno also had a big game with 10 points and corralled 10 boards.
After a concerning first quarter that included an 11-0 run for Stevens to start the game, the Blue Jays stuck around and climbed their way back into things. The team would cut the deficit to four by the quarter’s end and jumped out in front by the end of the first half, outscoring Stevens by six in the second quarter.
Momentum continued to go the Blue Jays way in the second half and their defense was a big reason why. In the third quarter, Etown held Stevens to just six points and their offense would push the issue on the other end with 19 points. The Jays offense would put up another 19 points to close things out in the fourth quarter, moving on to the second round.
Unfortunately, day two of the NCAA Tournament would not hold the same fate for the Blue Jays. Going up against #1 seeded, undefeated Christopher Newport Captains, the odds were stacked against them. In the end, the home team sent the Blue Jays home, 65-55. Junior forward Jessica King showed out in this one for Etown with a 16-point performance that included a consistent shooting performance from the free throw line. McNulty also made her way into double digits with 14 points.
The Jays were up for the challenge early, matching the Captains shot for shot for most of the first quarter. However, a nine to zero run by Christopher Newport, which included a barrage of threes, shifted the momentum heading into the second quarter. This electric stretch continued for the Captains as the second quarter kicked off, but once again, Etown hung around.
The third quarter would be where things started to fall apart for Etown. Christopher Newport dominated the opening quarter to second half, outscoring the Blue Jays by 10, stretching their lead to 19. Etown would have a strong closeout quarter with a nine-point swing, but time would simply run out for the Blue Jays, still down by 10 by the time the buzzer sounded.
While this ends the season for the Blue Jays, they still had a strong showing over the course of the season and the future looks bright for the team.
