Women's Basketball Elizabethtown Athletic Communications

No. 20 Elizabethtown Wins First NCAA Division III Tournament Game Since 2001

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Elizabethtown College women's basketball team faced an early double-digit deficit, but the Blue Jays battled back and took over the game in the third quarter as they went on to win their first NCAA Div. III Tournament game since 2001 with a 79-68 win over 21st-ranked Stevens. Summer McNulty had a game-high 24 points for the Blue Jays.

Stevens (22-6) got out ahead of the Jays 11-0 in the first quarter, forcing Etown to call an early timeout just to settle things down. The timeout was helpful as Elizabethtown (23-4) rallied the remainder of the quarter with a 13-6 run. They trailed the Ducks 17-13 after one.

The Blue Jays put together a much better second quarter than the first and that included success at the foul line. Etown was 7-for-17 from the field and 13-for-18 at the foul line as they put up 28 points in the second. Cyleigh Wilson hit a three with 37 seconds left before the half to put the Jays in front. Allyia Kennedy finished out the half with a pair of made foul shots and Elizabethtown led 41-39 at the half.

The hot shooting continued into the third as the Blue Jays hit nearly 60 percent from the field (8-14FG). Wilson and McNulty each hit a trey while the defense suffocated the Stevens' offense. The Ducks were just 2-for-20 in the third, did not hit a three, and had a third of their offense from the foul line. Etown outscored the Ducks 19-6 in the quarter to take a 15-point lead into the fourth.

The Jays' shooting, a strength of the team the entire season, hit on at least 50 percent of their shots for the second consecutive quarter. Elizabethtown needed its shooting as Stevens shot 8-for-11 in the fourth.

Elizabethtown hit the boards, outrebounding Stevens 48-41. DaniRae Renno secured 12 of those rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season as she finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Jessica King added 10 rebounds for the Jays.

Wilson ended her night with four threes and 15 points. Renno and Kaeli Romanowski each recorded 10 points.

The Blue Jays will face host Christopher Newport University tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in the Second Round.