ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- Drew gave the Elizabethtown College women's basketball team all it could handle in Tuesday night's Landmark Conference semifinal in Thompson Gymnasium, but it was the Blue Jays that outlasted the Rangers in overtime as Etown stormed back in the second half and doubled up Drew in overtime to advance, 80-72. Makenna Mummert had a game-high 23 points while Allyia Kennedy notched another double-double.
Elizabethtown got out ahead of Drew in the first quarter as they led 21-15 after one.
The second quarter was one to forget for the home squad as the Rangers took control by outscoring the Jays 18-6. Turnovers and deep balls from Drew added up as Maddie Beyer sank five of her seven threes in the first half. Etown, meanwhile, was just 2-for-9 from the floor while the Rangers were 4-for-8 in the second quarter from beyond the arc and led 33-27 at halftime.
Both teams shot around 40 percent in the third quarter with Elizabethtown making one more shot from the floor than Drew as they got within four by the fourth quarter.
The Rangers led by five, but it was quickly cut down by Mummert, who had 16 of her 23 in the second half of action. She knocked down two at the foul line and then dropped in a trey to tie the game at 52-52, though Drew would immediately score twice in a row to regain a four-point advantage.
The Blue Jays held down defensively while Mummert hit her second three of the fourth quarter to make it a one-point game. Then, Kennedy got inside for the layup to force Drew into a timeout. The senior made a second consecutive layup, two of Etown's 44 points in the paint, where they dominated all game (44-18).
Gianna Pica hit a late three for Drew with 46 seconds left. After a missed shot by the Jays at the other end, the Rangers had a chance to put it away, but two free throws were missed that provided Elizabethtown another chance. Ella Gordon seized that opportunity for EC, and with Drew head coach John Olenowski instructing his players to foul, they didn't do so in time as Gordon hit a three from the left wing to tie it at 64-64.
From the jump ball in OT, it was Elizabethtown's game in the end as they led throughout. Mummert's layup made it 66-64 and the Blue Jays never trailed again. Kiley Wilhelm got out on in transition after Maddie Beyer's miss and quickly it was a four-point game with less than a minute gone.
As they have done for much of the season, Etown hit free throws when they needed, going 8-for-10 in overtime to seal the game. Kennedy and Cadence Anderson hit all six of their combined attempts in the final 38 seconds with the Rangers desperate and needing to foul.
Kennedy had 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Jays while Fasick added 12 points and eight boards.
Elizabethtown plays at Susquehanna in the Landmark Conference Semifinals on Thursday, February 26, at 7 p.m.