Box Score
READING, Pa. – Led by a 32 point performance from Joe Flanagan, the Blue Jays of Elizabethtown College (16-4/7-3 Commonwealth) edged men's basketball (14-7/6-4 Commonwealth) in overtime by the final score of 84-82 Saturday afternoon in the Bollman Center. Saturday's loss marked the third straight game for Albright that was decided by three or fewer points.
To understand what kind of game Saturday's match-up was, two numbers standout even more than Flanagan's impressive 32 points, and that was a combined 19 lead changes and 16 tied scores between the two squads.
Setting up what would force the overtime period, was a quick 5-0 run by the Blue Jays in the final two minutes of play. Keith Fogel made it a three point game on his final lay-up of regulation. From there, Dan Silver would cut that lead to just two after going 1-for-2 at the line. Silver would then return with just four seconds left to score the game-tying lay-up to make it 70-70.
In overtime, the two teams exchanged one point leads for the first 1:06. After tying the score at 74-74, Albright jumped out to a four-point following a jumper from
Derek Hall, and back-to-back free throws by
Matt Ashcroft. Both Hall and Ashcroft, along with
Zac Shaeffer each scored a team-high 18 points. Hall also recorded a game-best 12 boards to earn his seventh double-double of the year.
Back-to-back jumpers by Elizabethtown would tie the game at 78-78, but that did not last long as Ashcroft hit the only three of overtime on an off balance shot to put the Lions up 81-78. Unfortunately a 5-0 run by the Blue Jays would shift control of the scoreboard back to the visitors.
Flanagan used an and-1 to give his team just a two point lead with 35 seconds to play. On the next Lions' possession, Hall would draw a foul and go to the line, where he went 1-for-2 to make it 82-83, Elizabethtown.
A Kyle McConnell free-throw would push the Blue Jays lead back to two with just four seconds left. On the final possession of the game, head coach
Rick Ferry turned to Shaeffer in hopes of hitting the buzzer beater.
Showing complete control as he dribbled the ball up the court, Shaeffer quickly looked at the clock and with less than a second left put up a deep three. As the ball came down everyone in the Bollman Center held their breath, as the ball would bounce off the back of the rim. With the ball not hitting its mark and just as Elizabethtown was getting ready to celebrate, freshman
Kyle Jordan came out of no-where to try and keep the play alive just as time expired. Unfortunately his last second heroics did not find their mark giving the Blue Jays the victory. Jordan led the Lions bench with 10 points and eight rebounds in 24 strong minutes.
As a team the Lions shot 46% on 29-of-63 shooting. From behind the arc, they were 5-for-20 (25%) and at the line they were 19-for-25 (76%). Elizabethtown ended Saturday's match-up shooting 49.2% on 32-of-65 shooting. They managed just four 3-pointers on 19 attempts (21.1%), and were 16-for-22 at the line (72.7%).
On the boards, Albright dominated the glass with a +24 advantage (43-28). Both teams were almost identical in turnovers with the Lions giving up just six more than their conference rivals (20-14). Defensively the Lions led the game in blocked shots with five, but it was the Blue Jays who led the contest in steals with 11.
Saturday's loss drops the Lions into a two-way tie for third place with Lebanon Valley College, who with their win over Widener have won six straight. Elizabethtown now holds sole possession of second place, and Alvernia remains the top team in the conference with a 7-1 record.
Men's basketball returns to action on Wednesday when they travel to Arcadia University for an 8 p.m. conference game.
