E'town Finds Redemption over Arcadia

Box Score
ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa.: Arcadia University was looking to snap a three-game conference losing skid, taking on the Blue Jays of Elizabethtown College Saturday afternoon on the road. It wouldn't be as easy as their season-opening league win at home against the Jays, given that a since-improved E'town squad just knocked off top-dog Lycoming three days earlier. After fighting back from a 19 point deficit in the first half to knot the score at 53-all with 5:10 to play in the game, the Knights eventually dropped the 11 point decision, 58-69.

After a 2-0 start to open their league schedule in late November, the Knights (9-10, 2-6 CC) have fallen from a first-place tie to a cellar deadlock with Albright with six games remaining in their playoff pursuit. Four of those six games are at home in Glenside, where the Knights are currently 6-2. Elizabethtown improves to 8-10, 4-4 in Commonwealth play into a three-way tie for third in the standings.

In their first meeting this season, Arcadia shot an impressive 52% from the field in their 75-67 victory at the Kuch Center. On Saturday, the Knights struggled offensively, shooting 30% while the Jays shot 42%.

Arcadia's shooting woes would be present early on as E'town opened up with an 11-2 lead after five minutes of play while the Knights went just 1 of 9 from the floor.

A three from Arcadia senior Jason Thompson at 15:54 stopped the bleeding and a bucket from first year Jose Figueroa at 12:28 got the Knights back to within 6, 15-9. Going just 2 for 9 over the ensuing 6 minutes, Arcadia saw the Jays capitalize on 3 Knight turnovers and go on a 13-6 run started by a throw down from Andrew Mantz at 11:30. Leading 28-13, the Jays heavied their foot on the pedal and sank four from distance in a four-minute spurt, including back-to-back bombs from Ryan Borzager, his second with 3:03 to play in the half giving his Jays a 19-point cushion. Arcadia eventually cut it to 14 at the break when they went into the locker room down 23-37.

Just inside the fifteen minute mark, Arcadia cut away at E'town's lead and got it to single digits, 41-32 on a layup from first year Joe Brown. Then Arcadia found a little life on two pretty fastbreak plays two minutes apart. Senior Colin McCarthy, the recipient of a pass in transition from junior Malcolm Still, drained one from distance making it a five point game, 41-36 Blue Jays at 14:35. At 12:49, McCarthy returned the favor, dishing off to Still in transition for a pull-up three-pointer, and a four-point E'town lead, 43-39. Those baskets were the Knights biggest of the game and led to a 6 for 6 showing at the line in the next minute and a half. In order to keep the momentum going and get back in the win column, the Knights needed to contain E'town shooters and make every possession count.

With Arcadia in the double-bonus, first year Aaron Lee-Webb sank two from the line at 6:22, junior Khalief Trawick added two more at 5:45 and Still matched that with two more free shots at 5:10, the second one tying the game at 53-all. But E'town responded to the Knight's 10-2 run with 14 unanswered in the final 4:10 to seal the victory.

Arcadia made four costly turnovers in the final minutes of play and with E'town also in the double-bouns, Trawick would pick up his fifth foul in the final minute, forcing one of the Knight's top socrers to the sideline. Head coach Pat Dorney aired his disagreement with the call, and was assessed a technical foul that allowed Ennis the opportunity to put the game away. Ennis knocked down four straight shots —two from the technical foul and two while shooting the double bonus on Trawick's foul. Ennis would soon add two more from the stripe with :30 seconds to play and hit of of two on Arcadia's second technical from their head coach with :07 to go with the Jays taking the 11 point victory.

McCarthy led the Knights scoring 12 points with 5 rebounds, and 2 assists. Brown contributed 11 points, 9 rebounds and made 2 steals. Webb added 9 while Thompson and Figueroa scored 6 apiece. Ennis led the victors with 17 points, 3 boards and 2 assists. Phil Wenger added 16 points, pulled down 4 borads with 2 assists and 3 steals while Mantz finished with 8 points, grabbed 4 caroms and blocked 3 shots.

Arcadia moves on to prepare for Commonwealth rival Alvernia University (12-6, 4-4CC) on Feb. 1. The Knights lost to the Crusaders 52-66 back on Jan. 11 in Reading. Wednesday's Commonwealth Conference doubleheader will feature a Pack The House Challenge for fans. The women's game tips-off at 6 p.m. with the men's contest to follow at 8 p.m.

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