Elizabethtown College’s women’s basketball team defeated the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen on Saturday, Feb. 1. They finished the game with a final score of 48-46, improving their season record to 15-3.
At Lebanon Valley College, the Blue Jays triumphed over the Dutchmen following a buzzer beater jump shot by senior forward Taylor Alwine, with only 3.8 seconds left in the game. This win currently forges them into a four-way tie for first place in the Commonwealth Conference with Lebanon Valley, Messiah and Stevenson, who all have records of 9-3 within the conference.
This victory comes as no surprise to the team, which has worked hard to achieve its goals. “I think we are going to win because of how much work we have put into practices and how hard we have been working,” sophomore guard Alyssa Aichele said.
The Jays won this game following a defeat on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at Messiah College against the Falcons, with a final score of 59-58 in favor of Messiah. “Going into the game, I knew we had to play incredibly hard, because it wasn’t going to be an easy game,” Aichele said. During this game, the Jays were in the lead for most of the first half; however, during the second half, the Falcons rallied with a 13-0 run and 21 free throws.
“Both games were similar; each team has a great program with a strong history,” Head Coach Sherri Gorman said. “As the game progressed, we got to a very early lead with Messiah; then we had a 10-minute period where we did not execute very well compared to Lebanon Valley. The game was always close, but we maintained our poise and discipline better.”
While the overall Messiah game resulted in a slim victory by the Falcons, the Jays dominated during the first half. Within three minutes, Aichele, Alwine and senior captain Taylor Kreider led the Jays to a 6-3 advantage over the Falcons. Only once during the first half did the Falcons take the lead by 4-3; however, a jump shot by Alwine placed the Jays ahead for the remaining half.
“Messiah was an extremely difficult loss for the team,” Gorman said. “In every tough situation, you learn about yourself, and we have used this to make ourselves and the team stronger and better.”
Despite its loss, the team remained in good spirits. “The Messiah game was obviously a disappointment, but we are looking to learn from it and not let it happen again,” Kreider said.
Following this loss, the Jays anticipated Saturday’s game against the LVC Dutchmen. “We know we have the biggest game of the year this Saturday, so we are both mentally and physically preparing ourselves,” Aichele said.
The team remained confident about its game against Lebanon Valley. “I have 100 percent trust and faith in every single one of my teammates,” senior captain Kendra Beittel said. “We know when we step on that court that we are united as one, and that is something not many teams can say. So whatever is thrown at us, I believe we can and will adapt.”
The Jays won the game against the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen. Sophomore guard Rachel Forjan led the team with a total of 14 points, Beittel finished with 10 and Kreider with seven points and eight rebounds. While the Jays dominated play for the majority of the first half, the second half brought several ties and shifts in momentum, when the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen began hitting their shots and tightening up the score. With the Jays two points behind and three minutes left in the game, Aichele snatched an offensive rebound off a missed foul shot and scored, tying the game at 44-44.
After the Dutchmen took control with a lead of 46-44 Kreider scored with a layup shot, placing the Jays in their third tie of the game. With time running out, Kreider passed the ball to Alwine, who finished the game by scoring on a jump shot, winning the game for the Jays with a final score of 48-46.
“LVC was total elation,” Gorman said. “The team worked so hard to stay focused in the moment and play hard. We have been in very close games in which we came up short, but this time the team executed with excellence, and we were successful; what a great feeling.”
“Win or lose, at the end of the day, we know that what matters most is the journey and the people we get to share it with,” Beittel said.
The Blue Jays were scheduled to play against the Arcadia Knights yesterday, but the game was postponed until Monday, Feb. 10 due to bad weather. Therefore, the team’s next game will be against Alvernia University on Feb. 8.
