Box Score (Stat Crew) | Box Score (SIDEARM)

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa — Fending off a late second half comeback, the Elizabethtown College women's basketball team sealed up their ninth victory of the season. The Jays were able to down the Widener Pride, 55-46, with a balanced offensive attack, pin-point ball movement and defensive board crashing.

The Blue Jays (9-4, 2-1 CC) continually used thread-the-needle passes on the heels of fast-break opportunities to keep themselves within reach of the lead in the first half. Stephanie Ellwood gave E-town its only lead of the first half off a three-point shot with seven minutes remaining. Elizabethtown's stellar ball management allowed the team to rush the ball up and down the court in the final three minutes to keep the game within a two point margin heading into the locker room.

Elizabethtown stamped their name on the second half, taking the lead 30 seconds in once again from the three-point shot of Stephanie Ellwood. A large part of the Jays stranglehold on the half can be chalked up to the defensive work, especially in the waning minutes of the game. Taylor Kreider pulled down 10 rebounds defensively (for a total of 12 rebounds) while Jayci Scannapieco came away with seven. Nadine Yunginger contributed to the defensive attack racking up four defensive rebounds and more impressively stepping into traffic, blocking five shots within the lane.

Ellwood had more accolades to go along with her clutch three-point shooting, as she led the Jays' offensive strike as well. Ellwood dropped 12 points and three assists to go along with her three steals. Kreider and Yunginger each put up eight, combining for five assists, eight blocks and two steals.

Widener (9-5, 2-1 CC) was led by 15 points from York native Kate Dellinger. Dellinger had a double-double with 11 rebounds, but she was the only Pride player in double figures in either category. Nine of her 15 points came from the foul line, where she was a perfect 9-of-9.

The win places E-town at 2-1 in the Commonwealth Conference heading into a schedule with all remaining games taking place within the Commonwealth Conference. The next stop for the Jays is a conference battle in Reading with Albright on Saturday.  The team then returns home for a two game stand against Lebanon Valley (Jan 18) and Alvernia (Jan 21).