From the Lancaster Sunday News:
Elizabethtown College extended its winning streak to six games with a 72-53 victory at Arcadia University in a men's Commonwealth Conference matchup Saturday.
The Blue Jays (10-3 overall, 2-1 Commonwealth) never trailed and led by as many as 26 points against the Knights (5-7 overall, 0-3 Commonwealth), thanks to a balanced attack that saw eight players score between six and 11 points.
Chris Jones led E-town with a career-high 11 points in 20 minutes off the bench, as the Blue Jays received 41 of their 72 points from reserves. Travis Mettler chipped in with a season-high nine points for the Blue Jays while Bryan Harrity added eight points and four rebounds as part of the bench effort.
Glen Gagnon led Arcadia with 11 points. The Knights shot 41.5 percent (17-for-41) from the field and committed 23 turnovers, which led to 36 E-town points.
The Blue Jays bolted to a 20-8 lead after eight minutes of action, and led by as many as 18 points before taking a 36-21 advantage to halftime.
Keith Fogel and Mark Vogel (Hempfield) each scored nine points for the Blue Jays, while Mike Church (Solanco) and Josh Houseal (Hempfield) added seven points apiece.
The Blue Jays host Lebanon Valley College at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
From the E-town College Website:
Blue Jays Rip Knights for Sixth Straight Win
Box score
GLENSIDE, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College extended its winning streak to six games with a 72-53 victory at Arcadia University in a Commonwealth Conference men's basketball matchup on Saturday afternoon.
The Blue Jays (10-3 overall, 2-1 Commonwealth) never trailed and led by as many as 26 points against the Knights (5-7 overall, 0-3 Commonwealth), thanks to a balanced attack that saw eight players score between six and 11 points and no player see more than 21 minutes of action in the rout.
Chris Jones led Elizabethtown with a career-high 11 points in 20 minutes off the bench, as the Blue Jays received 41 of their 72 points from reserves. Travis Mettler chipped in with a season-high nine points for the Blue Jays while Bryan Harrity added eight points and four rebounds as part of the bench effort.
Glen Gagnon led Arcadia with 11 points while Billy Beck contributed 10 points, but the Knights shot 41.5 percent (17-for-41) from the field as a team and committed 23 turnovers which led to 36 Elizabethtown points.
The Blue Jays bolted to a 20-8 lead after eight minutes of action, and led by as many as 18 points before taking a 36-21 advantage to halftime. Harrity and Joe Flanagan shared the team lead with six points apiece for the Blue Jays, who shot 48.6 percent (17-for-35) from the field in the first half. Darrell Mills and Alexis Alfonso paced the Knights with five points each.
Arcadia would get no closer than 17 points in the second half, as the Blue Jays held the Knights without a field goal for the final 3:43 and to 38.1 percent shooting (8-for-21) in the half.
Keith Fogel and Mark Vogel each scored nine points for the Blue Jays, while Mike Church and Josh Houseal added seven points apiece. Houseal also finished with a team-high six rebounds for Elizabethtown, which finished the game with a 33-26 rebound edge over Arcadia.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Etown overpowers Knights 72-53
From the Arcadia University Website:
Glenside, PA: 1/9/10 - Elizabethtown College Men's Basketball landed ten players in the scoring column and built upon a 15-point halftime advantage to lead by as many as 26 in the second half, running past Arcadia University 72-53 in Commonwealth Conference action Saturday afternoon in Glenside. With today's win, Etown improves to 10-3 overall and 2-1 in the league while Arcadia drops to 5-7 and 0-3 against C'wealth opponents.
The Knights ran with the Blue Jays in the opening minutes of action and on a three pointer from Alexis Alfonso '11 at the 11:22 mark. Arcadia trailed by just 9 (11-20) from that point but a trio of buckets from Etown's Bryan Harrity over the next three minutes sparked a 16-10 run for the Blue Jays who went into the half leading 36-21. The Blue Jays scored 22 points off of 17 first half Arcadia turnovers.
Things would only keep going Etown's way in the second half as their 15-point lead grew to 24 by the 12:13 mark (29-53) when Chris Jones sank a three pointer. Arcadia would battle under the boards, cutting Etown's hefty lead down to 19 by the final buzzer, but settled for their third league loss of the season.
Jones led Etown with 11 points and 4 rebounds while Keith Fogel, Mark Vogel and Travis Mettler added 9 apeice. Glen Gagnon '10 led Arcadia with 11 points on 3-4 from the floor and 5-7 from the line. Darrell Mills '11 chipped in with 9 points and led AU on the boards with 9 while Billy Beck '12 contributed 10 points and 3 boards.
For the game, Etown outshot AU 48% to 42% but the Knights held the advantage at the free throw line, sinking 16-21 to Etown's 7-14.
Glenside, PA: 1/9/10 - Elizabethtown College Men's Basketball landed ten players in the scoring column and built upon a 15-point halftime advantage to lead by as many as 26 in the second half, running past Arcadia University 72-53 in Commonwealth Conference action Saturday afternoon in Glenside. With today's win, Etown improves to 10-3 overall and 2-1 in the league while Arcadia drops to 5-7 and 0-3 against C'wealth opponents.
The Knights ran with the Blue Jays in the opening minutes of action and on a three pointer from Alexis Alfonso '11 at the 11:22 mark. Arcadia trailed by just 9 (11-20) from that point but a trio of buckets from Etown's Bryan Harrity over the next three minutes sparked a 16-10 run for the Blue Jays who went into the half leading 36-21. The Blue Jays scored 22 points off of 17 first half Arcadia turnovers.
Things would only keep going Etown's way in the second half as their 15-point lead grew to 24 by the 12:13 mark (29-53) when Chris Jones sank a three pointer. Arcadia would battle under the boards, cutting Etown's hefty lead down to 19 by the final buzzer, but settled for their third league loss of the season.
Jones led Etown with 11 points and 4 rebounds while Keith Fogel, Mark Vogel and Travis Mettler added 9 apeice. Glen Gagnon '10 led Arcadia with 11 points on 3-4 from the floor and 5-7 from the line. Darrell Mills '11 chipped in with 9 points and led AU on the boards with 9 while Billy Beck '12 contributed 10 points and 3 boards.
For the game, Etown outshot AU 48% to 42% but the Knights held the advantage at the free throw line, sinking 16-21 to Etown's 7-14.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Blue Jays Win Fifth Straight, 74-68 at Gwynedd-Mercy
From the E-town College Website:
Box score
GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. --- Mike Church scored 16 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to help Elizabethtown College to a 74-68 victory over Gwynedd-Mercy College in non-conference men's basketball action Thursday evening.
Four players scored in double figures for the Blue Jays (9-3 overall), who won their fifth straight game by shooting 57.9 percent (11-for-19) from the field and sinking 16-of-22 foul shots in the second half to overcome a 37-33 halftime deficit.
Matt Johnson paced the Griffins (3-6 overall) with a game-high 20 points while Mike Payne added 12 points off the bench, but Gwynedd-Mercy shot just 34.8 percent (24-for-69) from the field for the game.
Joe Flanagan led Elizabethtown with 17 points, connecting on four three-pointers in six attempts, while Bryan Harrity went 5-for-5 from the field and scored 11 points in 12 minutes off the bench and Keith Fogel added 10 points and five assists for the Blue Jays.
Elizabethtown jumped to an early 11-2 lead behind six points from Church, but Gwynedd-Mercy answered with a 20-4 run to go on top 22-15 on a dunk by Jon Hogga with 10:49 left in the first half.
Elizabethtown came back to tie the game twice late in the half, but the Griffins went to intermission with a 37-33 lead as Johnson led with 12 points and six rebounds. Church paced the Blue Jays with game highs of 14 points and seven rebounds in the first half.
The Blue Jays took their first lead since the early stages of the first half when Flanagan hit two foul shots with 12:01 to play to push Elizabethtown ahead 51-50. After the teams swapped the lead several times over the next four minutes, the Blue Jays went ahead for good on a basket by Josh Houseal with 7:39 remaining.
After trailing by as many as five points, the Griffins pulled within 70-68 on a three-pointer by Johnson with 36 seconds left, but Chris Jones hit two free throws with 23 seconds left and Fogel added a pair with 12 seconds remaining to close out the scoring.
Church's double-double was his third of the season and the 12th of his career, while Flanagan has reached double figures in scoring 11 times in 12 games this season. Fogel, Church and Flanagan have combined for 30 double-figure scoring performances this season, including eight games in which all three scored 10 or more points.
From the Gynedd-Mercy College Website:
Elizabethtown 74, Gwynedd-Mercy 68
Johnson hits milestone, but Griffins lose 4th in a row
Box Score
GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. – Senior Matt Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Strawberry Mansion) scored a game-high 20 points including his 1,000th career point, but it wasn’t enough as Elizabethtown edged Gwynedd-Mercy, 74-68, Thursday night at the Griffin Complex.
Senior Mike Payne (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) added 12 points but the Griffins (3-6) dropped their fourth in a row.
Joe Flanagan netted 17 points and teammate Mike Church totaled 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Blue Jays (9-3), who won their fifth-straight.
Gwynedd fell behind by as much as nine early in the contest, but a 20-4 run helped GM to its biggest lead, 25-17 with nine minutes in the stanza. E-Town would cut the lead to a 37-33 Griffin edge at the break.
Flanagan’s two free throws with 12:01 left in the game gave the Blue Jays its first lead since the first half, 51-50. The teams traded leads over the next two minutes before six-straight E-Town points, capped off by Flanagan gave the Blue Jays a 60-55 lead with 6:30 remaining.
Johnson’s trey pulled the Griffins within 70-68 with just 32 ticks, but four-straight free throws helped seal the outcome.
The game was rescheduled from December 19th.
Gwynedd-Mercy will play at Cabrini at 8 p.m. on Monday, January 11th in a CSAC matchup. It is the first meeting since last season’s conference championship game.
Box score
GWYNEDD VALLEY, Pa. --- Mike Church scored 16 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds to help Elizabethtown College to a 74-68 victory over Gwynedd-Mercy College in non-conference men's basketball action Thursday evening.
Four players scored in double figures for the Blue Jays (9-3 overall), who won their fifth straight game by shooting 57.9 percent (11-for-19) from the field and sinking 16-of-22 foul shots in the second half to overcome a 37-33 halftime deficit.
Matt Johnson paced the Griffins (3-6 overall) with a game-high 20 points while Mike Payne added 12 points off the bench, but Gwynedd-Mercy shot just 34.8 percent (24-for-69) from the field for the game.
Joe Flanagan led Elizabethtown with 17 points, connecting on four three-pointers in six attempts, while Bryan Harrity went 5-for-5 from the field and scored 11 points in 12 minutes off the bench and Keith Fogel added 10 points and five assists for the Blue Jays.
Elizabethtown jumped to an early 11-2 lead behind six points from Church, but Gwynedd-Mercy answered with a 20-4 run to go on top 22-15 on a dunk by Jon Hogga with 10:49 left in the first half.
Elizabethtown came back to tie the game twice late in the half, but the Griffins went to intermission with a 37-33 lead as Johnson led with 12 points and six rebounds. Church paced the Blue Jays with game highs of 14 points and seven rebounds in the first half.
The Blue Jays took their first lead since the early stages of the first half when Flanagan hit two foul shots with 12:01 to play to push Elizabethtown ahead 51-50. After the teams swapped the lead several times over the next four minutes, the Blue Jays went ahead for good on a basket by Josh Houseal with 7:39 remaining.
After trailing by as many as five points, the Griffins pulled within 70-68 on a three-pointer by Johnson with 36 seconds left, but Chris Jones hit two free throws with 23 seconds left and Fogel added a pair with 12 seconds remaining to close out the scoring.
Church's double-double was his third of the season and the 12th of his career, while Flanagan has reached double figures in scoring 11 times in 12 games this season. Fogel, Church and Flanagan have combined for 30 double-figure scoring performances this season, including eight games in which all three scored 10 or more points.
From the Gynedd-Mercy College Website:
Elizabethtown 74, Gwynedd-Mercy 68
Johnson hits milestone, but Griffins lose 4th in a row
Box Score
GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. – Senior Matt Johnson (Philadelphia, Pa./Strawberry Mansion) scored a game-high 20 points including his 1,000th career point, but it wasn’t enough as Elizabethtown edged Gwynedd-Mercy, 74-68, Thursday night at the Griffin Complex.
Senior Mike Payne (Philadelphia, Pa./Neumann-Goretti) added 12 points but the Griffins (3-6) dropped their fourth in a row.
Joe Flanagan netted 17 points and teammate Mike Church totaled 16 points and 15 rebounds for the Blue Jays (9-3), who won their fifth-straight.
Gwynedd fell behind by as much as nine early in the contest, but a 20-4 run helped GM to its biggest lead, 25-17 with nine minutes in the stanza. E-Town would cut the lead to a 37-33 Griffin edge at the break.
Flanagan’s two free throws with 12:01 left in the game gave the Blue Jays its first lead since the first half, 51-50. The teams traded leads over the next two minutes before six-straight E-Town points, capped off by Flanagan gave the Blue Jays a 60-55 lead with 6:30 remaining.
Johnson’s trey pulled the Griffins within 70-68 with just 32 ticks, but four-straight free throws helped seal the outcome.
The game was rescheduled from December 19th.
Gwynedd-Mercy will play at Cabrini at 8 p.m. on Monday, January 11th in a CSAC matchup. It is the first meeting since last season’s conference championship game.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Blue Jays Head to Break with 72-61 Win over Mules
From the E-town College Website:
Box score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College wrapped up the 2009 portion of its men's basketball schedule with a 72-61 non-conference win over Muhlenberg College at Thompson Gymnasium Sunday afternoon.
The Blue Jays (8-3 overall) earned their fourth straight victory by forcing the Mules (5-4 overall) into 34 turnovers, converting the miscues into 33 points. Keith Fogel led the Blue Jays with 16 points while Josh Houseal hit a career-best three three-pointers and finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Evan Tozer led the Mules with 13 points while Peter Barnes added 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots and Spencer Liddic chipped in with 12 points and nine boards as Muhlenberg finished with a 49-31 advantage in rebounding.
Elizabethtown never trailed in the contest, holding Muhlenberg scoreless for nearly four minutes as part of a 12-3 run that gave the Blue Jays a 22-11 lead with 8:23 left in the first half.
The Blue Jays went 7-for-11 from three-point range in the first half and led 40-27 at intermission, but hit just one of eight attempts from beyond the arc after the break as part of a 26.5 percent (9-for-34) overall shooting performance in the second half.
The Mules trailed 49-34 with 14:57 left, but trimmed the deficit to 51-45 following a layup by Liddic with 9:14 to play. However, Mark Vogel scored the game's next six points to extend the Blue Jay lead to 57-45 with 8:11 to go.
Elizabethtown received solid contributions from its bench, with 10 players combining for 26 points and eight rebounds. Vogel and Brady Haughney each scored six points off the bench for the Blue Jays, while Justin Greenstone and Brian Frankowski each came off the Mule bench to tally six points as well.
From the Muhlenberg College Website:
men’s basketball learns lessons
Two days after the end of the final exam period for the first semester, the Muhlenberg men’s basketball team went back to school and learned some important lessons in a 72-61 loss at Elizabethtown.
One was that the Mules will have to step up their game against high-quality competition. After winning four in a row against teams with a combined record of 5-26, Muhlenberg faces the other three 2009 Centennial Conference semifinalists in its first nine days back in 2010.
Another is that continuing to play hard pays off. The Mules, who trailed the Blue Jays 20-6 midway through the first half and by 13 (40-27) at halftime, got back in the game with exceptional defense. Down 49-34 five minutes into the second half, Muhlenberg went on an 11-2 run to cut the gap to six. Elizabethtown (8-3) scored the next six points, however, and maintained a comfortable lead the rest of the way.
And last but not least, it’s hard to beat anybody when you commit turnovers. The Mules had a 49-31 rebounding advantage and held Elizabethtown to 34.3-percent shooting (26.5 percent in the second half) but turned the ball over 34 times against the pressure defense of the Blue Jays.
Senior Peter Barnes notched his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Spencer Liddic just missed a double-double, scoring all 12 of his points in the second half and adding nine rebounds.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Box score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Elizabethtown College wrapped up the 2009 portion of its men's basketball schedule with a 72-61 non-conference win over Muhlenberg College at Thompson Gymnasium Sunday afternoon.
The Blue Jays (8-3 overall) earned their fourth straight victory by forcing the Mules (5-4 overall) into 34 turnovers, converting the miscues into 33 points. Keith Fogel led the Blue Jays with 16 points while Josh Houseal hit a career-best three three-pointers and finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
Evan Tozer led the Mules with 13 points while Peter Barnes added 12 points, 10 rebounds and three blocked shots and Spencer Liddic chipped in with 12 points and nine boards as Muhlenberg finished with a 49-31 advantage in rebounding.
Elizabethtown never trailed in the contest, holding Muhlenberg scoreless for nearly four minutes as part of a 12-3 run that gave the Blue Jays a 22-11 lead with 8:23 left in the first half.
The Blue Jays went 7-for-11 from three-point range in the first half and led 40-27 at intermission, but hit just one of eight attempts from beyond the arc after the break as part of a 26.5 percent (9-for-34) overall shooting performance in the second half.
The Mules trailed 49-34 with 14:57 left, but trimmed the deficit to 51-45 following a layup by Liddic with 9:14 to play. However, Mark Vogel scored the game's next six points to extend the Blue Jay lead to 57-45 with 8:11 to go.
Elizabethtown received solid contributions from its bench, with 10 players combining for 26 points and eight rebounds. Vogel and Brady Haughney each scored six points off the bench for the Blue Jays, while Justin Greenstone and Brian Frankowski each came off the Mule bench to tally six points as well.
From the Muhlenberg College Website:
men’s basketball learns lessons
Two days after the end of the final exam period for the first semester, the Muhlenberg men’s basketball team went back to school and learned some important lessons in a 72-61 loss at Elizabethtown.
One was that the Mules will have to step up their game against high-quality competition. After winning four in a row against teams with a combined record of 5-26, Muhlenberg faces the other three 2009 Centennial Conference semifinalists in its first nine days back in 2010.
Another is that continuing to play hard pays off. The Mules, who trailed the Blue Jays 20-6 midway through the first half and by 13 (40-27) at halftime, got back in the game with exceptional defense. Down 49-34 five minutes into the second half, Muhlenberg went on an 11-2 run to cut the gap to six. Elizabethtown (8-3) scored the next six points, however, and maintained a comfortable lead the rest of the way.
And last but not least, it’s hard to beat anybody when you commit turnovers. The Mules had a 49-31 rebounding advantage and held Elizabethtown to 34.3-percent shooting (26.5 percent in the second half) but turned the ball over 34 times against the pressure defense of the Blue Jays.
Senior Peter Barnes notched his fourth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Sophomore Spencer Liddic just missed a double-double, scoring all 12 of his points in the second half and adding nine rebounds.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Schlosser Earns 300th Win as Blue Jays Defeat Royals, 63-52
From the E-town College Website:
Box score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Keith Fogel scored 12 of his team-high 16 points in the second half as Elizabethtown College defeated the University of Scranton 63-52 in non-conference men's basketball action at Thompson Gymnasium on Saturday night, giving Blue Jay head coach Bob Schlosser his 300th career victory.
Schlosser has a 300-201 record in his 20th season with the Blue Jays, and ranks second in program history behind the 331 wins amassed by Don Smith from 1954-64 and 1972-88. Following the game, his players presented him with the game ball and a plaque commemorating the milestone victory.
Mike Church and Joe Flanagan each scored 14 points apiece for the Blue Jays (7-3 overall), while Eli Londo paced the Royals (6-3 overall) with game highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds.
The Royals self-destructed in the first half, finishing with more turnovers (18) than points (17) and going 8 minutes, 48 seconds without a point as the Blue Jays turned a 13-9 deficit into a 21-13 lead.
The Blue Jays held a 28-17 lead at intermission behind 12 points from Church, while Londo led the Royals with eight points and four rebounds. Both teams struggled from the field in the opening half, as Elizabethtown shot 10-for-27 (37 percent) overall and 1-for-8 from three-point range while Scranton hit 38.1 percent (8-for-21) and 1-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Elizabethtown built its lead to as many as 12 points early in the second half, and held a 38-28 advantage with 16:20 to go before Scranton went on a 12-4 run to whittle the deficit to 42-40 with 11:03 left on a three-pointer by Londo.
A basket by Church and a three-pointer by Fogel pushed the Blue Jay advantage back to eight points (48-40) with 8:49 to go, but the Royals crept back within four at 55-51 on a layup by Zach Ashworth with 2:31 left. However, it would be Scranton's last field goal of the game as the Blue Jays finished with an 8-1 run that featured four free throws by Fogel and breakaway layups by Josh Houseal and Kyle McConnell.
Overall, Elizabethtown finished at 40.4 percent (23-for-57) from the field and went 13-for-20 from the foul line, while Scranton connected at 41.7 percent (20-for-48) overall and 9-for-12 at the line. Scranton held a 37-33 edge in rebounding and finished with 28 turnovers to 16 by Elizabethtown.
Ashworth, who entered the game leading the Landmark Conference in scoring at 18.4 points per game and in three-pointers per game (2.75), went 0-for-6 from beyond the arc and finished with 11 points, with seven coming in the final five minutes.
From the University of Scranton Website:
Elizabethtown Holds Off Second-Half Rally To Defeat Royals, 63-52, Saturday Evening; Londo Paces Scranton With Career-Highs of 19 Points and 12 Rebounds
December 12, 2009
Box Score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa.-The University of Scranton's bid to fight back from an 11-point halftime deficit fell short against Elizabethtown College Saturday evening at Thompson Gymnasium.
The Royals closed to within two, 42-40, before the Blue Jays ended the game on a 21-12 run to hold on for a 63-52 victory. Junior guard Keith Fogel (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) led Elizabethtown, now 7-3, with 16 points and senior center Mike Church (Peach Bottom, Pa./Solanco) and junior guards Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) added 14 points apiece.
Senior forward Eli Londo (Hamlin, Pa./North Pocono) posted his third ‘double-double' of his career with 19 points and 12 rebounds-posting a career-high in points and tying his career-high in rebounds-and junior guard Zach Ashworth (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) added 11 points for the Royals, who turned the ball over a season-high 28 times.
It was turnovers that dug a huge hole for Scranton in the first half. The Royals managed to build up an early 13-9 lead, but turned the ball over 11 times in the final 12 minutes of play, which sparked a 19-4 rally by the Blue Jays en route to a 28-17 lead by intermission. Scranton compounded its problems by shooting only 38 percent from the field, including 14.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, in the opening 20 minutes.
The Royals, who shot nearly 45 percent from the field in the second half to jump start its offense, got to within two on a 3-pointer by Londo to cap off a 23-14 rally with 11:02 remaining. Flanagan, Church and Fogel then combined for nine points during a 13-4 spurt over the next six minutes to stretch Elizabethtown's lead to 11, 55-44, with 5:42 remaining.
Scranton made one last-ditch effort to pull out the win, as Ashworth scored six straight points during an 8-2 run to cut the margin to four, 55-51, with 2:31 left. The Royals, however, committed two costly turnovers and back-to-back lay-ups by Blue Jay senior forward Josh Houseal (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) and sophomore Kyle McConnell (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) helped seal the victory.
The win was number 300 for veteran head coach Bob Schlosser, now in his 20th season at Elizabethtown. He is now 300-201 (.599) in his collegiate career.
The loss snaps a two-game winning streak for the Royals, now 6-3. Scranton will close out a two-game road trip this Tuesday, December 15, against Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, beginning at 8:00 p.m.
News & Notes: Scranton still leads the all-time series with Elizabethtown, 44-18, but the Blue Jays have now won five of the last eight meetings...Londo's previous career-high of 17 points came against Albright on December 13, 2008, at the Long Center and earlier this year against Bard College, also at the Long Center...Londo connected on 8 of 12 shots from the field, but the rest of the Royals went a combined 12-for-36 (33.3 percent)...Scranton shot a season-low 17.6 percent (3 of 17) from the 3-point arc...the Royals previous season-high for turnovers was 27 in a 96-77 loss to then 2nd-ranked John Carroll in the championship game of the Radisson Invitational on Sunday, November 22...all three of Londo's ‘double-doubles' in points and rebounds have come this year.
From the Lancaster Sunday News:
E-town's Schlosser collects 300th win
Former players gave him a standing ovation after 63-52 triumph over Scranton.
Sunday News
Elizabethtown
By JASON GUARENTE, Correspondent
For Bob Schlosser, the number, however big and round, was secondary to the way it was achieved.
The coach came to Elizabethtown in 1990 hoping to build a program on the foundation of two principles: playing hard and playing together.
Twenty seasons later, that approach produced Schlosser's 300th win at the school.
E-town College knocked off Scranton, 63-52, in a non-conference men's basketball game at Thompson Gym Saturday night.
It was a victory for a lifetime coach to savor.
"Now that it has been 20 years here, you start to appreciate it a little bit more," Schlosser said. "Now it starts to really sink in. This is special. It really is.
"I just feel proud of the fact that we built a program. There are a lot of people who had their hand in it. That's what's important, the relationships that you build with players and coaches."
Schlosser has a 300-201 record in his 20 seasons at E-town. He ranks second on the school's all-time win list behind Don Smith, who has 331.
The magnitude of the accomplishment wasn't lost on Elizabethtown's players. They gathered around their coach and posed for pictures after the game.
"It's a huge thing," said senior Mike Church, who finished with 14 points and six rebounds. "That's a huge milestone at any coaching level. He's got that system and he's done it for a long time. Because of that, he has 300 wins."
E-town's players registered No. 300 by relying on sheer effort to overcome their cold shooting (37.5 percent) and occasional lack of execution.
In other words, they won by playing hard and playing together.
The Blue Jays took the lead for good with a suffocating 12-0 run in the first half. They held Scranton without a point for a span of 8:46 as they built a 21-13 advantage.
The combination of E-town's pressure and Scranton's sloppiness created 18 turnovers and resulted in just 17 points for the Royals in the first half. E-town turned those turnovers into 15 points and led by 11 at intermission.
"We weren't shooting the ball well," Schlosser said. "At least our pressure was causing them to turn it over and not get into any kind of flow. Our intensity and our pressure kept us in the lead even through the later stages of the game."
Although Scranton overcame its early struggles and hung close in the second half, the Royals were never able to pull even. The closest they came was 42-40 after Dan Hilferty and Eli Londo hit consecutive 3-pointers with 11 minutes remaining.
E-town responded with another stretch of shut-down defense. The Jays held Scranton to one field goal over the next 4:52 to quickly extend the lead back to 11 points. It was never closer than four points the rest of the way.
Keith Fogel scored 12 of his career-high 16 points in the second half for E-town. Lancaster Mennonite grad Joe Flanagan added 14 points.
"Tonight's game was not a pretty win," said Schlosser, whose team improved to 7-3. "But I think our energy and our intensity got us the 'W.' We didn't shoot it well. We had some breakdowns defensively, but we're a team that always plays with a lot of fire. I think tonight that was the difference."
Schlosser downplayed the importance of No. 300 in the days leading up to this game. He didn't want to put the focus on a personal achievement when his team was seeking its collective goals for the season.
After the win was in the books, Schlosser was awarded a plaque and a game ball. Some of his former players gave him a standing ovation from the bleachers.
It was evidence that the coach was right. Milestones are more than numbers. They're about the people you meet along the way.
Box score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Keith Fogel scored 12 of his team-high 16 points in the second half as Elizabethtown College defeated the University of Scranton 63-52 in non-conference men's basketball action at Thompson Gymnasium on Saturday night, giving Blue Jay head coach Bob Schlosser his 300th career victory.
Schlosser has a 300-201 record in his 20th season with the Blue Jays, and ranks second in program history behind the 331 wins amassed by Don Smith from 1954-64 and 1972-88. Following the game, his players presented him with the game ball and a plaque commemorating the milestone victory.
Mike Church and Joe Flanagan each scored 14 points apiece for the Blue Jays (7-3 overall), while Eli Londo paced the Royals (6-3 overall) with game highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds.
The Royals self-destructed in the first half, finishing with more turnovers (18) than points (17) and going 8 minutes, 48 seconds without a point as the Blue Jays turned a 13-9 deficit into a 21-13 lead.
The Blue Jays held a 28-17 lead at intermission behind 12 points from Church, while Londo led the Royals with eight points and four rebounds. Both teams struggled from the field in the opening half, as Elizabethtown shot 10-for-27 (37 percent) overall and 1-for-8 from three-point range while Scranton hit 38.1 percent (8-for-21) and 1-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Elizabethtown built its lead to as many as 12 points early in the second half, and held a 38-28 advantage with 16:20 to go before Scranton went on a 12-4 run to whittle the deficit to 42-40 with 11:03 left on a three-pointer by Londo.
A basket by Church and a three-pointer by Fogel pushed the Blue Jay advantage back to eight points (48-40) with 8:49 to go, but the Royals crept back within four at 55-51 on a layup by Zach Ashworth with 2:31 left. However, it would be Scranton's last field goal of the game as the Blue Jays finished with an 8-1 run that featured four free throws by Fogel and breakaway layups by Josh Houseal and Kyle McConnell.
Overall, Elizabethtown finished at 40.4 percent (23-for-57) from the field and went 13-for-20 from the foul line, while Scranton connected at 41.7 percent (20-for-48) overall and 9-for-12 at the line. Scranton held a 37-33 edge in rebounding and finished with 28 turnovers to 16 by Elizabethtown.
Ashworth, who entered the game leading the Landmark Conference in scoring at 18.4 points per game and in three-pointers per game (2.75), went 0-for-6 from beyond the arc and finished with 11 points, with seven coming in the final five minutes.
From the University of Scranton Website:
Elizabethtown Holds Off Second-Half Rally To Defeat Royals, 63-52, Saturday Evening; Londo Paces Scranton With Career-Highs of 19 Points and 12 Rebounds
December 12, 2009
Box Score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa.-The University of Scranton's bid to fight back from an 11-point halftime deficit fell short against Elizabethtown College Saturday evening at Thompson Gymnasium.
The Royals closed to within two, 42-40, before the Blue Jays ended the game on a 21-12 run to hold on for a 63-52 victory. Junior guard Keith Fogel (Mifflinburg, Pa./Mifflinburg) led Elizabethtown, now 7-3, with 16 points and senior center Mike Church (Peach Bottom, Pa./Solanco) and junior guards Joe Flanagan (Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) added 14 points apiece.
Senior forward Eli Londo (Hamlin, Pa./North Pocono) posted his third ‘double-double' of his career with 19 points and 12 rebounds-posting a career-high in points and tying his career-high in rebounds-and junior guard Zach Ashworth (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) added 11 points for the Royals, who turned the ball over a season-high 28 times.
It was turnovers that dug a huge hole for Scranton in the first half. The Royals managed to build up an early 13-9 lead, but turned the ball over 11 times in the final 12 minutes of play, which sparked a 19-4 rally by the Blue Jays en route to a 28-17 lead by intermission. Scranton compounded its problems by shooting only 38 percent from the field, including 14.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, in the opening 20 minutes.
The Royals, who shot nearly 45 percent from the field in the second half to jump start its offense, got to within two on a 3-pointer by Londo to cap off a 23-14 rally with 11:02 remaining. Flanagan, Church and Fogel then combined for nine points during a 13-4 spurt over the next six minutes to stretch Elizabethtown's lead to 11, 55-44, with 5:42 remaining.
Scranton made one last-ditch effort to pull out the win, as Ashworth scored six straight points during an 8-2 run to cut the margin to four, 55-51, with 2:31 left. The Royals, however, committed two costly turnovers and back-to-back lay-ups by Blue Jay senior forward Josh Houseal (Landisville, Pa./Hempfield) and sophomore Kyle McConnell (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest) helped seal the victory.
The win was number 300 for veteran head coach Bob Schlosser, now in his 20th season at Elizabethtown. He is now 300-201 (.599) in his collegiate career.
The loss snaps a two-game winning streak for the Royals, now 6-3. Scranton will close out a two-game road trip this Tuesday, December 15, against Montclair State University in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, beginning at 8:00 p.m.
News & Notes: Scranton still leads the all-time series with Elizabethtown, 44-18, but the Blue Jays have now won five of the last eight meetings...Londo's previous career-high of 17 points came against Albright on December 13, 2008, at the Long Center and earlier this year against Bard College, also at the Long Center...Londo connected on 8 of 12 shots from the field, but the rest of the Royals went a combined 12-for-36 (33.3 percent)...Scranton shot a season-low 17.6 percent (3 of 17) from the 3-point arc...the Royals previous season-high for turnovers was 27 in a 96-77 loss to then 2nd-ranked John Carroll in the championship game of the Radisson Invitational on Sunday, November 22...all three of Londo's ‘double-doubles' in points and rebounds have come this year.
From the Lancaster Sunday News:
E-town's Schlosser collects 300th win
Former players gave him a standing ovation after 63-52 triumph over Scranton.
Sunday News
Elizabethtown
By JASON GUARENTE, Correspondent
For Bob Schlosser, the number, however big and round, was secondary to the way it was achieved.
The coach came to Elizabethtown in 1990 hoping to build a program on the foundation of two principles: playing hard and playing together.
Twenty seasons later, that approach produced Schlosser's 300th win at the school.
E-town College knocked off Scranton, 63-52, in a non-conference men's basketball game at Thompson Gym Saturday night.
It was a victory for a lifetime coach to savor.
"Now that it has been 20 years here, you start to appreciate it a little bit more," Schlosser said. "Now it starts to really sink in. This is special. It really is.
"I just feel proud of the fact that we built a program. There are a lot of people who had their hand in it. That's what's important, the relationships that you build with players and coaches."
Schlosser has a 300-201 record in his 20 seasons at E-town. He ranks second on the school's all-time win list behind Don Smith, who has 331.
The magnitude of the accomplishment wasn't lost on Elizabethtown's players. They gathered around their coach and posed for pictures after the game.
"It's a huge thing," said senior Mike Church, who finished with 14 points and six rebounds. "That's a huge milestone at any coaching level. He's got that system and he's done it for a long time. Because of that, he has 300 wins."
E-town's players registered No. 300 by relying on sheer effort to overcome their cold shooting (37.5 percent) and occasional lack of execution.
In other words, they won by playing hard and playing together.
The Blue Jays took the lead for good with a suffocating 12-0 run in the first half. They held Scranton without a point for a span of 8:46 as they built a 21-13 advantage.
The combination of E-town's pressure and Scranton's sloppiness created 18 turnovers and resulted in just 17 points for the Royals in the first half. E-town turned those turnovers into 15 points and led by 11 at intermission.
"We weren't shooting the ball well," Schlosser said. "At least our pressure was causing them to turn it over and not get into any kind of flow. Our intensity and our pressure kept us in the lead even through the later stages of the game."
Although Scranton overcame its early struggles and hung close in the second half, the Royals were never able to pull even. The closest they came was 42-40 after Dan Hilferty and Eli Londo hit consecutive 3-pointers with 11 minutes remaining.
E-town responded with another stretch of shut-down defense. The Jays held Scranton to one field goal over the next 4:52 to quickly extend the lead back to 11 points. It was never closer than four points the rest of the way.
Keith Fogel scored 12 of his career-high 16 points in the second half for E-town. Lancaster Mennonite grad Joe Flanagan added 14 points.
"Tonight's game was not a pretty win," said Schlosser, whose team improved to 7-3. "But I think our energy and our intensity got us the 'W.' We didn't shoot it well. We had some breakdowns defensively, but we're a team that always plays with a lot of fire. I think tonight that was the difference."
Schlosser downplayed the importance of No. 300 in the days leading up to this game. He didn't want to put the focus on a personal achievement when his team was seeking its collective goals for the season.
After the win was in the books, Schlosser was awarded a plaque and a game ball. Some of his former players gave him a standing ovation from the bleachers.
It was evidence that the coach was right. Milestones are more than numbers. They're about the people you meet along the way.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Blue Jays Use Balance to Defeat Colonels, 76-69
From the E-town College Website:
Box score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Four players scored in double figures to help Elizabethtown College defeat Wilkes University 76-69 in a non-conference men's basketball game at Thompson Gymnasium Wednesday night.
Mike Church led the way for the Blue Jays (6-3 overall) with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Bryan Harrity contributed a career-high 14 points off the bench as Elizabethtown led by as many as 17 points before the Colonels (4-3 overall) mounted a late rally. The win was the 299th career victory for Elizabethtown head coach Bob Schlosser, who was coaching in his 500th game in 20 seasons on the Blue Jay sidelines.
Tom Kresge led Wilkes with a game-high 25 points along with six rebounds, while Anthony Gabriel grabbed a game-best eight rebounds and chipped in with 13 points, four assists and three blocked shots, but the Colonels could not overcome 38.1 percent shooting (24-for-63) in falling to the Blue Jays for the second time this season. Elizabethtown defeated Wilkes 66-57 at Susquehanna University's tournament on Nov. 20.
Also reaching double figures for Elizabethtown were Joe Flanagan, with 14 points, and Keith Fogel, who netted 11 points along with a game-high five assists and held Chris DeRojas, Wilkes' second-leading scorer at 13.8 points per game, to just one field goal and four points on the evening.
Harrity, who had set his previous career high of 11 points in the Blue Jays' most-recent game, a 69-64 overtime win over Messiah on Saturday, went 5-for-7 from the field and sank all four of his free-throw attempts. He helped the Elizabethtown bench finish with a 25-11 advantage in scoring over the Wilkes reserves.
Wilkes led by as many as five points in the game's opening minutes, but a 14-4 run in the latter stages of the half helped Elizabethtown to a 37-32 lead at intermission. Harrity and Flanagan shared the game high with 10 points apiece for the Blue Jays, who shot 51.7 percent (15-for-29) from the field in the half.
The Colonels kept their deficit within six points at 51-45 with 12:40 to go, but the Blue Jays took over from there as a 16-2 run pushed the Elizabethtown advantage to a game-high 17 points at 64-47 with 6:27 left. The Colonels pared the Blue Jay lead to six in the final 30 seconds but could get no closer.
Kyle McConnell just missed joining the Blue Jay quartet in double figures, as he finished with eight points along with four rebounds. In all, the Blue Jays had a slim 39-38 advantage on the glass while each team committed 14 turnovers.
From the Wilkes University Website:
COLONELS FALL TO ELIZABETHTOWN IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
box score
For the second time this season, the Wilkes University men’s basketball team fell to Elizabethtown, this time by a score of 76-69. Tom Kresge had another impressive performance, hitting 11-of-18 shots for a game-high 25 points.
The Blue Jays had four players scoring in double-figures while hitting 45.9 percent from the field as a team. The Colonels on the other hand, struggled hitting 24-of-63 shots for 38.1 percent.
The two teams went back and forth in the first half with the Colonels holding the lead most of the way. Mike Donatoni hit a pair of free throws with 8:24 to give Wilkes a 22-21 advantage. The Blue Jays proceeded to go a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to take a 31-21 lead with 4:47 to go and would lead the rest of the way.
The score was tied four times in the first half and the lead changed seven different times, but Elizabethtown would eventually take a 37-32 lead at the half.
Already leading 51-45, with 12:40 to go, the Blue Jays used a 9-0 run to lead 60-45with 7:49 to play. Elizabethtown would eventually lead by as many as 17, but Wilkes used a 7-0 in the final minute of the game to pull within seven.
Wilkes fell to 4-3 on the year, while E-town improved to 6-3. The Colonels will be back in action on Saturday when they take on Lycoming on the road at 1 p.m.
Box score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Four players scored in double figures to help Elizabethtown College defeat Wilkes University 76-69 in a non-conference men's basketball game at Thompson Gymnasium Wednesday night.
Mike Church led the way for the Blue Jays (6-3 overall) with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Bryan Harrity contributed a career-high 14 points off the bench as Elizabethtown led by as many as 17 points before the Colonels (4-3 overall) mounted a late rally. The win was the 299th career victory for Elizabethtown head coach Bob Schlosser, who was coaching in his 500th game in 20 seasons on the Blue Jay sidelines.
Tom Kresge led Wilkes with a game-high 25 points along with six rebounds, while Anthony Gabriel grabbed a game-best eight rebounds and chipped in with 13 points, four assists and three blocked shots, but the Colonels could not overcome 38.1 percent shooting (24-for-63) in falling to the Blue Jays for the second time this season. Elizabethtown defeated Wilkes 66-57 at Susquehanna University's tournament on Nov. 20.
Also reaching double figures for Elizabethtown were Joe Flanagan, with 14 points, and Keith Fogel, who netted 11 points along with a game-high five assists and held Chris DeRojas, Wilkes' second-leading scorer at 13.8 points per game, to just one field goal and four points on the evening.
Harrity, who had set his previous career high of 11 points in the Blue Jays' most-recent game, a 69-64 overtime win over Messiah on Saturday, went 5-for-7 from the field and sank all four of his free-throw attempts. He helped the Elizabethtown bench finish with a 25-11 advantage in scoring over the Wilkes reserves.
Wilkes led by as many as five points in the game's opening minutes, but a 14-4 run in the latter stages of the half helped Elizabethtown to a 37-32 lead at intermission. Harrity and Flanagan shared the game high with 10 points apiece for the Blue Jays, who shot 51.7 percent (15-for-29) from the field in the half.
The Colonels kept their deficit within six points at 51-45 with 12:40 to go, but the Blue Jays took over from there as a 16-2 run pushed the Elizabethtown advantage to a game-high 17 points at 64-47 with 6:27 left. The Colonels pared the Blue Jay lead to six in the final 30 seconds but could get no closer.
Kyle McConnell just missed joining the Blue Jay quartet in double figures, as he finished with eight points along with four rebounds. In all, the Blue Jays had a slim 39-38 advantage on the glass while each team committed 14 turnovers.
From the Wilkes University Website:
COLONELS FALL TO ELIZABETHTOWN IN NON-CONFERENCE ACTION
box score
For the second time this season, the Wilkes University men’s basketball team fell to Elizabethtown, this time by a score of 76-69. Tom Kresge had another impressive performance, hitting 11-of-18 shots for a game-high 25 points.
The Blue Jays had four players scoring in double-figures while hitting 45.9 percent from the field as a team. The Colonels on the other hand, struggled hitting 24-of-63 shots for 38.1 percent.
The two teams went back and forth in the first half with the Colonels holding the lead most of the way. Mike Donatoni hit a pair of free throws with 8:24 to give Wilkes a 22-21 advantage. The Blue Jays proceeded to go a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to take a 31-21 lead with 4:47 to go and would lead the rest of the way.
The score was tied four times in the first half and the lead changed seven different times, but Elizabethtown would eventually take a 37-32 lead at the half.
Already leading 51-45, with 12:40 to go, the Blue Jays used a 9-0 run to lead 60-45with 7:49 to play. Elizabethtown would eventually lead by as many as 17, but Wilkes used a 7-0 in the final minute of the game to pull within seven.
Wilkes fell to 4-3 on the year, while E-town improved to 6-3. The Colonels will be back in action on Saturday when they take on Lycoming on the road at 1 p.m.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
More Game Coverage
From the Lancaster Sunday News:
Blue Jays earn an early 'must win'
Blue Jays rally from 16-point deficit to beat Messiah in overtime.
Dec 06, 2009 00:11 EST
Elizabethtown
By JASON GUARENTE, Correspondent
It's not often a college basketball coach puts a must-win emphasis on a game played in early December.
That was the attitude Elizabethtown's Bob Schlosser took into Saturday.
"This was a critical game for us," he said. "We never say to our guys, 'You have to win this one.' But we said that tonight. We felt we had to win."
E-town's players answered their coach's request. They rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to edge Messiah, 69-64, in overtime at Thompson Gym.
Why did a game played so early in the season carry such importance for E-town?
The Blue Jays had already lost their Centennial Conference opener against Alvernia Wednesday. A setback against Messiah would have left the Jays 0-2 in the conference with both losses coming at home. That would have put a serious dent in their hopes of contending this season.
Even with that consequence at stake, E-town didn't exactly come out firing on all cylinders. The Jays were stagnant on offense and a step slow on defense until the early stages of the second half.
Messiah hit 7 of its first 11 attempts from behind the 3-point arc as it built a 41-25 lead with 18:47 remaining in regulation.
That's when E-town flipped its defensive switch and played with more urgency.
"We started pressing," Schlosser said. "We always pick up full court, but we did a little more trapping and pressing out of it, which I thought made the difference. It was not only good for turnovers, but I thought it took them out of their offense."
E-town burst on a 17-2 run in the span of 6:42 to cut the deficit to one point and give itself new life.
Messiah, which had been so efficient on offense, broke down in the second half. The Falcons only made three of their final 13 3-point attempts and only shot 10-for-33 after halftime.
"I thought there were points in the second half when we were organized," Messiah coach Rick Van Pelt said. "But definitely at the end of regulation we made a couple of terrible miscues, just being in the wrong spot.
"E-town does a great job. They put pressure on you from start to finish. They make you play the full court. We just had people out of position at the end. They made some big plays. They scrambled and did a good job."
Elizabethtown overcame a 55-48 deficit in the final 2:09 of regulation. Hempfield grad Mark Vogel hit a clutch 3-pointer with 1:11 remaining that capped a 7-0 run and pulled E-town even.
Keith Fogel's steal and layup with 27 seconds left gave E-town its first lead at 59-57, but Messiah's Chris Yoder, also a Hempfield alum, made a basket with 15.9 seconds remaining to force overtime.
E-town opened the OT with a 7-2 run to pull away from Messiah and prevail.
Fogel led a quartet of Blue Jay players scoring in double figures with 17 points. Lancaster Mennonite's Joe Flanagan added 15, Bryan Harrity had a career-high 11 off the bench and Solanco's Mike Church chipped in 10.
Messiah was led by Northern Lebanon's Colton Reitz, who contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds.
It was a grind-it-out win for E-town. The Jays only had five field goals in the final 14 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime and only shot 27 percent during that stretch. They won by hitting 22 of their 27 free throw attempts.
E-town didn't play great, but it played well enough to earn a crucial victory.
"This is a game we really needed," Schlosser said. "We needed it just for our psyche. To go 0-2 in the conference with both games being at home would have been really tough to deal with."
Blue Jays earn an early 'must win'
Blue Jays rally from 16-point deficit to beat Messiah in overtime.
Dec 06, 2009 00:11 EST
Elizabethtown
By JASON GUARENTE, Correspondent
It's not often a college basketball coach puts a must-win emphasis on a game played in early December.
That was the attitude Elizabethtown's Bob Schlosser took into Saturday.
"This was a critical game for us," he said. "We never say to our guys, 'You have to win this one.' But we said that tonight. We felt we had to win."
E-town's players answered their coach's request. They rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit to edge Messiah, 69-64, in overtime at Thompson Gym.
Why did a game played so early in the season carry such importance for E-town?
The Blue Jays had already lost their Centennial Conference opener against Alvernia Wednesday. A setback against Messiah would have left the Jays 0-2 in the conference with both losses coming at home. That would have put a serious dent in their hopes of contending this season.
Even with that consequence at stake, E-town didn't exactly come out firing on all cylinders. The Jays were stagnant on offense and a step slow on defense until the early stages of the second half.
Messiah hit 7 of its first 11 attempts from behind the 3-point arc as it built a 41-25 lead with 18:47 remaining in regulation.
That's when E-town flipped its defensive switch and played with more urgency.
"We started pressing," Schlosser said. "We always pick up full court, but we did a little more trapping and pressing out of it, which I thought made the difference. It was not only good for turnovers, but I thought it took them out of their offense."
E-town burst on a 17-2 run in the span of 6:42 to cut the deficit to one point and give itself new life.
Messiah, which had been so efficient on offense, broke down in the second half. The Falcons only made three of their final 13 3-point attempts and only shot 10-for-33 after halftime.
"I thought there were points in the second half when we were organized," Messiah coach Rick Van Pelt said. "But definitely at the end of regulation we made a couple of terrible miscues, just being in the wrong spot.
"E-town does a great job. They put pressure on you from start to finish. They make you play the full court. We just had people out of position at the end. They made some big plays. They scrambled and did a good job."
Elizabethtown overcame a 55-48 deficit in the final 2:09 of regulation. Hempfield grad Mark Vogel hit a clutch 3-pointer with 1:11 remaining that capped a 7-0 run and pulled E-town even.
Keith Fogel's steal and layup with 27 seconds left gave E-town its first lead at 59-57, but Messiah's Chris Yoder, also a Hempfield alum, made a basket with 15.9 seconds remaining to force overtime.
E-town opened the OT with a 7-2 run to pull away from Messiah and prevail.
Fogel led a quartet of Blue Jay players scoring in double figures with 17 points. Lancaster Mennonite's Joe Flanagan added 15, Bryan Harrity had a career-high 11 off the bench and Solanco's Mike Church chipped in 10.
Messiah was led by Northern Lebanon's Colton Reitz, who contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds.
It was a grind-it-out win for E-town. The Jays only had five field goals in the final 14 minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime and only shot 27 percent during that stretch. They won by hitting 22 of their 27 free throw attempts.
E-town didn't play great, but it played well enough to earn a crucial victory.
"This is a game we really needed," Schlosser said. "We needed it just for our psyche. To go 0-2 in the conference with both games being at home would have been really tough to deal with."
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