Blue Jays outlast Marymount in OT, 88-78

From the E-town College Website:

11/25/2008
Men's basketball outlasts Marymount in OT, 88-78

ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Elizabethtown 88, Marymount 78 (OT)

Click here for the box score

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Phil Schaffer (Marmora, NJ/Ocean City) and Keith Fogel (Mifflinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) combined to score 11 of Elizabethtown's 14 points in overtime as the Blue Jays claimed a wild 88-78 victory over Marymount University in non-conference men's basketball action on Tuesday night at Thompson Gymnasium.

Schaffer scored six of his career-high 12 points in the overtime period while Fogel added five of his career-best 21 points in the extra frame as the Blue Jays (3-2 overall) bounced back after seeing the Saints (3-2 overall) rally from a 13-point second-half deficit.

Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) led all players with a career-high 22 points while Mike Church (Peach Bottom, PA/Solanco) also reached double figures with 14 points to go with five rebounds, five steals and four blocked shots.

Mike Gray led Marymount (3-2 overall) with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Chapmen Canady hit two key shots at the end of regulation en route to 14 points for the Saints.

The game, already scheduled for an unusually late 9:00 p.m. tipoff as the second half of a doubleheader with the Blue Jay women, was twice delayed - for 30 minutes at the start as the Marymount team bus was late arriving after being caught in a traffic jam, and again for 13 minutes with 3:10 left in the second half when the gym lights automatically shut off at 11:00 p.m.

Despite the distractions, the Blue Jays outscored the Saints 14-4 in the overtime period and shot 5-for-8 from the floor in the period after hitting 54.2 percent (13-for-24) in the second half.

Elizabethtown never trailed in the overtime, as Schaffer twice converted steals into layups and Fogel drilled a key three-pointer with 3:16 left to give the Blue Jays an 80-76 lead. After a layup by Gray trimmed the Blue Jay advantage to 80-78 with 2:16 to go, buckets by Schaffer and Brady Haughney (Bernville, PA/Tulpehocken) kicked off a game-ending 8-0 run for Etown.

The Blue Jays looked to have the game in hand early in the second half, taking their largest lead of the night at 58-45 on a three-pointer by Flanagan with 11:17 to play. Marymount answered with nine consecutive points to pull within 58-54 with 9:12 left.

Trailing 72-66 with 2:18 to go, the Saints' Chapmen Canady single-handledly brought his team back as he hit a jumper and a three-pointer to cut the Elizabethtown margin to one at 72-71 with 1:11 left. After Fogel hit two foul shots with 53 seconds left, Canady hit another three to tie the game at 74-74 with 32 seconds to go.

Church was unable to connect on a potential winning shot with 19 seconds to go, and Gray's baseline jumper in the closing seconds caught rim to send the game to overtime.

Elizabethtown led 33-32 at halftime despite allowing Marymount to shoot 60 percent (15-for-25) from the field. The Saints were plagued by turnovers throughout the contest, committing 15 of their 29 miscues in the opening half.

In addition to his 12 points, Schaffer added six assists and four steals for the Blue Jays, while Josh Houseal (Landisville, PA/Hempfield) had a team-high seven rebounds to go with five points.