Box Score
Scranton, PA – Marywood University's Mariah Schaeffer scored a game-high 21 points but it wasn't enough as Elizabethtown College edge the Pacers 68-67 in the season opener for both teams on Monday evening in Scranton. Both teams placed three players in double figures as the Blue Jays picked up the win in an exciting non-conference battle.
The two teams traded the lead six times in the first half and Elizabethtown went on a 10-2 run to build a 35-27 lead with 1:53 on the clock, but Marywood rattled off the final six points of the period to cut their deficit to just two, 35-33, at the intermission. Kaity Snyder led Elizabethtown with 12 first half points as the Blue Jays shot 33.3 percent from the floor and made nine of ten free throw opportunities in the opening 20 minutes. Mariah Schaeffer (Bainbridge, NY) led Marywood with 10 points before the break. The Pacers shot 37.1 percent from the floor in the period and made six of seven free throws.
Marywood opened the second half with an 8-2 run to take a 41-37 lead at the 16:47 mark of the second half on a three-pointer by Schaffer, but Elizabethtown reclaimed the lead on a Megan Strohman three-pointer with 9:18 to play to make the score 53-51 in favor of the visitors. The Blue Jays extended their lead to as many as seven points, but the Pacers hung tight down the stretch, cutting their deficit to 66-65 on a pair of made free throw by Marielle Thorsen (Belvidere, NJ) with 43 seconds left.
Nadine Yunginger converted a pair from the charity stripe with 10 seconds remaining to restore Elizabethtown's advantage to three. After a timeout, Marywood's Lauren Rogan (Archbald, PA) put up shot from beyond the arc to try to tie the game, but the ball fell short of the rim and the Pacers had to settle for a lay-up as time expired.
Snyder led Elizabethtown with 19 points to go along with eight rebounds. Strohman (15 points) and Yunginger (11 points) also finished in double-figures for the Blue Jays, who shot 36.8 percent from the floor for the game and 85.7 from the free throw line.
Schaffer had a game-high 21 points to lead Marywood on 8-18 from the floor and 3-4 on free throws. Freshman Brittany Mang (Carbondale, PA) had 12 points in her collegiate debut while Thorsen finished with 11 points. The Pacers finished the evening 34.8 percent from the field and 78.9 percent from the charity stripe.
Marywood returns to action on Wednesday when they visit Penn State Schuykill for a non-conference game scheduled to tip-off at 7:00 p.m.
