ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Kate Fitzpatrick led the Lebanon Valley women's basketball team with nine points in a 70-42 defeat at Elizabethtown College on Wednesday afternoon at Thompson Gymnasium in Elizabethtown.
 
The host Blue Jays (4-1) entered the game ranked 18th in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll and were receiving votes in the WBCA Coaches Poll. Elizabethtown scored the first two points of the game on a pair of made free throws 90 seconds into the first quarter. Riley Hevelow knocked down a three-pointer off an assist by Kailey Eckhart to give LVC (3-1) a 3-2 lead. The Blue Jays responded with a three-pointer and then a three-point play to go up 8-3. Both teams ramped up the defensive pressure and neither team was able to make a field goal until 3:25 remaining in the quarter when the Blue Jays knocked down a three to make it 11-4. The teams traded scores until Allison Bimmer knocked down a three with 13 seconds left to cut the lead to 15-9.
 
Elizabethtown came out strong in the second quarter scoring 13 of the first 15 points to take a 17-point lead. Fitzpatrick ended the run as Elise Balmer found her open for a three-pointer. The Blue Jays responded with a three at the other end and increased their lead to 20 points before Fitzpatrick hit a jumper with 1:35 left in the half to make it 35-17. Elizabethtown scored on a layup with 42 seconds left to take a 20-point advantage into the break.
 
Samya Santiague started the scoring in the second half with a driving layup on the first possession. Both teams struggled to score over the next five minutes with Elizabethtown making three jumpers to take a 43-19 lead midway through the quarter. Christina Fernandez made the front end of a pair of free throws and then Elizabethtown scored on four layups to go up 51-20 with 1:44 left. Abbie Reed scored the final basket of the quarter on a nice layup off a great pass from Hevelow.
 
The Dutchmen started the fourth quarter with a bucket by Hevelow and a steal and basket by Fitzpatrick to force a timeout a minute into the quarter. The Blue Jays came out of the timeout and knocked down a three. Kailey Eckhart scored on a driving layup before Elizabethtown made the next two buckets to take a 58-28 lead. The teams traded baskets over the next couple of minutes as Fernandez and Fitzpatrick hit shots for the Dutchmen. LVC was able to get the lead down to 26 points in the final minute as Alyssa Reisinger made a layup while being fouled, swished the free throw, and then Ashley Pleban knocked down a fastbreak three following a Rachel Witkoski steal.
 
Inside the Box

• 10 different Dutchmen scored in the game led by Fitzpatrick with nine points.
• Eckhart had six points and three rebounds while Hevelow finished with five points.
• Fernandez, Bimmer, and Reed all had four points.
• Balmer led the squad with three assists.

Up Next
The Dutchmen will be back in Sorrentino Gymnasium next Wednesday as they host Marywood University for a 6 p.m. tip-off.

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