Box Score
ANNVILLE, Pa. – Senior forward Jessica Hollinshead (Jenkinstown, Pa./Jenkintown) posted game-high 21 points to go with 13 rebounds, four steals and two blocks to lead Elizabethtown to a 74-64 victory over Lebanon Valley in Commonwealth Conference women's basketball action Saturday afternoon at the LVC Gymnasium.
Lebanon Valley (18-4, 8-4 CC) lost its second straight Commonwealth Conference game and remains in a tie with Moravian for second place in the conference standings. Moravian lost 68-59 at Messiah on Saturday.
The game marked Lebanon Valley's final regular season home appearance of the year.
Junior center Jennifer Northcott (Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) paced LVC with 18 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Junior guard Erin Eaby (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) added 14 points for the Valley while junior guard Crystal Gibson (Randallstown, Md./Randallstown) tossed in 11 points. Gibson also handed out three assists and is 14 away from tying the LVC career record of 379 held by Chrissy Henise '98.
Sophomore guard Megan Wolfe (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) came up big down the stretch for E-town, as she went 8-for-8 at the foul line over the final 1:19 to prevent an LVC comeback. Wolfe finished with 19 points while sophomore forward Cristin Braun (Exton, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) added 13 points and a game-high five assists for the Blue Jays.
LVC led by nine (46-37) with 13:10 to go, but E-town scored 10 unanswered points over the next 3:40 and took a 47-46 lead following a fastbreak layup from Hollinshead. LVC briefly reclaimed the lead (48-47) when Gibson dropped in layup with 7:52 remaining, but the Blue Jays took the lead for good when junior guard Mary Wismer (Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Country Day) canned a three-pointer with 7:28 on the clock.
The Valley tied the game at 56 after a put-back from Northcott with 3:03 left, but Elizabethtown answered with a decisive 12-0 run over the next 1:58 and assumed a 68-56 lead with 1:05 left. LVC was unable to cut the lead to less than eight the rest of the way, as the Blue Jays went to work at the foul line. E-town scored the final seven points of its 12-0 run on free throws and its last 13 points of the game ended up coming at the charity stripe.
Elizabethtown led for nearly the entire first half, although neither side led by more than six in the opening period. The Blue Jays took a 7-6 lead following a Hollinshead jumper with 15:53 to go in the opening stanza, and E-town would not trail again until Eaby converted a fastbreak layup with 17 seconds left in the half. Eaby's bucket gave the Valley a 27-26 halftime lead.
The early part of the second half went back and forth until LVC went on a 7-0 surge to open up its nine-point lead with 13:10 left.
Elizabethtown shot 45.3% for the game while LVC shot 36.9%. Both sides had trouble holding onto the ball, with E-town committing 30 turnovers and LVC turning it over 24 times.
Lebanon Valley plays its final two regular season Commonwealth Conference games on the road. LVC visits Widener at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and takes on Juniata at 6 p.m. next Saturday.
[Photo - Junior center Jennifer Northcott, who recorded 18 points and 16 rebounds against Elizabethtown on Saturday]
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