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Albright College (5-15, 1-8 Commonwealth Conference) at Elizabethtown College (13-6, 6-3 Commonwealth Conference)

The Albright College Lions travel this Saturday to Thompson Gymnasium to visit the Elizabethtown College Blue Jays in a Commonwealth Conference matchup. The Lions come into the game with a 5-15 overall record, 1-8 in the Commonwealth Conference, while the Blue Jays enter the game with an overall record of 13-6, 6-3 in the Commonwealth Conference. The 6-3 conference record has the Blue Jays currently tied for third in the conference with Widener University. Game time is scheduled for 2 pm.

Previous Matchup:

The Blue Jays defeated the Lions at the Bollman Center 70-42 on January 14th. A tight game early on, the Blue Jays ended the half by hitting a pair of three-point field goals in the final minute to create a 32-22 halftime lead. The Blue Jays did not look back and continued to extend the lead throughout the second half, outscoring the Lions 38-20 in the half. Despite the loss, Albright freshman Jessica Venturelli put in a strong performance, leading the Lions with a game-high 14 points on 5-10 shooting.  The Blue Jays displayed a balanced attack, with six players scoring 7+ points, including Nadine Yunginger's team-high 12 points. Albright sophomore Meghan Boyle grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.

At a Glance: Albright College Lions

The Lions are coming off a tough road loss against the Warriors of Lycoming College on Wednesday night, 54-48. A 10-0 run for Lycoming early in the second half put the Warriors ahead 35-21 with 15:55 to play and ultimately was too much for the Lions to come back from. The Lions played well on the defensive end, holding the Warriors to 32 percent shooting and forcing 17 turnovers. Despite the strong defensive play Albright struggled on the offensive end, committing 27 turnovers while shooting 31 percent from the field, including 25 percent from behind the arc.

In the loss, guard Jenny Knoebel continued her strong senior season. Knoebel produced a great all- around effort, scoring a game-high 15 points to go along with eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals. The senior guard is currently leading the team in scoring, averaging 10.3 points per game, which also ranks 11th in the conference. She also is among the team leaders in many other statistical categories, including leading the team in blocks (18) and steals (30), while ranking third on the team in rebounding (6.1 rpg), field goal percentage (41.9%), and three-point field goal percentage (36.4 %).

Sophomore Meghan Boyle has continued to be a top rebounder in the conference. After grabbing a game-high 12 rebounds against Lycoming, the forward currently sits second in the conference in rebounding, averaging 9.0 boards per game. Boyle also is third on the team is scoring, averaging 8.9 points per game.

The Lions have used the three-point line to their advantage this season. After making seven three-point field goals in Wednesday's loss against Lycoming, the Lions have made 112 three-point field goals, which is first in the Commonwealth Conference (Widener currently ranks second with 97 three-point field goals made). Not only do the Lions lead the conference in three-point field goals made, they have been efficient in doing so. They currently lead the conference in three-point field goal percentage as well (33%, 112-339). Leading Albright behind the arc this season has been freshman guard Amanda Tiritilli, who is shooting 43% (34-79) from behind the three-point line. Tiritilli's 43% from behind the arc ranks first in the conference and her 34 three-point field goals made is second in the league. The Lions also have two other players who rank near the top of the conference in three-point field goal percentage: Jenny Knoebel (36.4%) ranks fourth and Jessica Venturelli (25.2%) ranks 12th.  

At a Glance: Elizabethtown College Blue Jays

The Blue Jays are entering Saturday with a lot to play for. Etown is in the running for a berth in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs, currently sitting with a 6-3 conference record, which has them tied for third in the conference with Widener University. A win on Saturday will go a long way for the Blue Jays and their playoff chances, as they only have five more conference games remaining on their schedule. Along with a possible playoff appearance, the Blue Jays will be trying to send their coach out on top. Head coach Yvonne Kauffman has announced that she plans to retire after this year, her 42nd season.

The Blue Jays had a great opportunity to put themselves securely in third place on Wednesday night when they traveled to Widener. A win would have completed the season sweep of Widener, as they defeated the Pride at home back on January 11, 55-46. After taking an early lead Wednesday night, the Blue Jays were unable to keep up with the Pride as Widener went on an 18-5 run to end the first half and lead the Blue Jays 40-25 at halftime. The Pride continued their strong play in the second half, winning by the score 79-52. The Blue Jays were led in the loss by guard Kendra Beittel, who had 12 points and 5 rebounds, and Yunginger, who had 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Saturday's matchup against the Lions is also Elizabethtown's Senior Day, where the Blue Jays will honor their two seniors, guard Stephanie Ellwood and forward Jayci Scannapieco.

Looking Ahead

After traveling to face the Blue Jays on Saturday, the Lions will have two Commonwealth Conference matchups this upcoming week. The Lions will face Alvernia at the Bollman Center on Wednesday, and then go back on the road to play conference-leading Lebanon Valley on Saturday.