ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – The Susquehanna University women's basketball team saw their four-game win streak snapped Saturday afternoon as the River Hawks suffered their first Landmark Conference setback. Susquehanna (11-4, 3-1 LC) led by as many as seven but the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays (8-6, 4-0 LC) shot 61.1-percent in the fourth quarter and came away with the 75-65 victory.
Susquehanna 65, Elizabethtown 75
How It Happened
First Quarter
- Susquehanna erased an early five-point deficit and headed into the second quarter with an 18-17 lead as junior forward Alanna Connolly (Whitehouse Station, N.J./Hunterdon Central) scored her first basket of the afternoon with 16 seconds to go.
- Junior guard Nevin Hoenninger (Lancaster, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) notched six points in the frame as the River Hawks made 50-percent of their shots in the first 10 minutes.
- SU also dominated in the paint by a 14-4 margin.
Second Quarter
- The River Hawks turned their one-point lead into a seven-point one (30-23) at 4:29 with a 12-6 run to start the second. Junior captain Erin McQuillen (Cresskill, N.J./Cresskill) and Madi Welliver (Turbotville, Pa./Warrior Run) each tallied four points in the run.
- Elizabethtown cut the deficit to four twice but sophomore Amalia Esposito (Coraopolis, Pa./Montour) scored SU's final four points of the half to send her team into halftime with a 34-29 advantage.
Halftime
- Lydia Lawson led all scorers with 13 points while Hoenninger paced the River Hawks with eight and Esposito added seven points.
- McQuillen and Esposito each had six rebounds to help Susquehanna boast a 27-16 rebounding margin.
- The Blue Jays relied on their outside shooting to stay in the game, shooting 5-of-10 from downtown, while SU controlled the inside by a 30-6 margin.
Third Quarter
- There were four lead changes and three tied scores.
- Elizabethtown reclaimed the lead with a 13-7 run at the beginning of the second half for a 42-41 lead at 3:38. The Blue Jays led by as many as three during their run.
- Sophomore guard Amanda Lemire (Auburn, N.H./Pinkerton) would score seven of Susquehanna's final 10 points as the River Hawks closed out the third on a 10-5 run to regain the lead heading into the final period.
Fourth Quarter
- It was all Elizabethtown in the final 10 minutes as the Blue Jays connected on 11 of 18 shot attempts and went 5-for-8 at the free throw line.
- The Blue Jays also outrebounded SU, 14-2, and took control of the paint by a 16-4 margin.
- After Welliver tied the game at 53-all with 7:26 remaining in the game, Etown broke the game open with a 13-0 run over the next three minutes as the River Hawks missed their next four shots.
- Susquehanna continued to battle, coming within eight three times but could not get any closer.
Inside the Box Score
- SU finished shooting 44.4-percent from the floor but only knocked down three triples.
- The River Hawks also went to the line a season-low nine times and ended the day 6-for-9.
- Elizabethtown shot 42.4-percent for the game, including 7-of-16 from behind the three-point arc, while gaining a 41-39 edge in rebounds.
- The Blue Jays control the series history with a 60-22 record, having won seven straight.
Top Performers
- Esposito led the River Hawks with 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds to go along with two assists.
- Lemire came off the bench to contribute 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and three assists while sophomore forward Olivia Brandt (Bethlehem, Pa./Notre Dame) chipped in 10 points and three boards.
- McQuillen hauled in a team-best eight caroms while adding eight points and four assists.
- Lawson tallied a game-best 24 points to lead the Blue Jays while Mikayla Ruth had 14 points and a game-best nine rebounds in Etown's third consecutive victory.
Up Next for the River Hawks
- Jan. 22 at No. 10/11 Scranton (12-3, 2-2 LC) – Scranton, Pa. / John Long Center – Landmark Conference game – 7:00 p.m.
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