SELINSGROVE, PA (February 19, 2022) -- The Susquehanna University women's basketball team gave visiting Elizabethtown College everything it could handle Saturday afternoon in O.W. Houts Gymnasium, but the Blue Jays were able to outlast the River Hawks in taking a 79-71 decision in Landmark Conference play. 

Susquehanna honored its seven seniors and one graduate student prior to the game, as manager Hannah McLucas along with Brandt, Amanda Lemire, Erin McQuillen, Amalia Esposito, Sadie Comfort and Megan Emlet all were celebrated in a pregame ceremony. 

The Blue Jays (20-4, 12-2 Landmark) came out of the gates quick, scoring nine of the first 11 points of the game to take a 9-2 advantage. Elizabethtown led by as many as eight in the first quarter, but Susquehanna (12-12, 4-10 Landmark) rallied to make it a two-point game at 16-14 on a jumper from junior Isabella Schwabe. After E-Town took a three-point lead into the second quarter, the Blue Jays pushed their edge back up to eight and scored the last four points of the half to take a 39-30 edge after 20 minutes. 

The game stayed close and competitive the whole way, as Susquehanna pulled to within four with 1:29 to go in the period after a pair of free throws by senior Amalia Esposito. E-Town once again answered with two straight triples to lead by eight going into the fourth quarter. The River Hawks continued to hang around, making it a one-possession game at 62-60 after a triple by senior Olivia Brandt. 

The Blue Jays answered on the next possession with a three-pointer by Veronica Christ, followed by a lay-up by DaniRae Renno to make it a two-score game as the River Hawks never got within three again for the contest. 

Junior Kaitlyn Lynch finished with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting, making three of her seven shots from behind the arc. Lynch also added five rebounds and two blocks. Brandt posted 13 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, three steals and three assists to fill the stat sheet, and Lemire added 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Esposito also tallied 12 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal. McQuillen also totaled nine points in her final contest as a Monarch, finishing her SU career with 1133 points, seventh-most in program history. 

Susquehanna shot 42.2 percent (27-52) on field goals overall, making eight three-pointers on the night. SU outscored the Blue Jays 33-13 in bench points, and finished one block short of a season-high total after tallying eight Saturday. 

Christ finished with a game-high 21 points for E-Town, while Summer McNulty added 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting for the Blue Jays. EC will host Catholic University Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. in the Landmark Conference Semifinals. 

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--RIVER HAWKS--