ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Five Lancaster Bible players scored in double figures and the visiting Chargers broke away in the final 10 minutes to deny the Elizabethtown College men's basketball its first victory of the season, 90-77, in the Blue Jays' home opener Tuesday night at Thompson Gymnasium.

Josh Eden manufactured a game-high 23 points –his second straight game with 20 or more– and Matt Lapkowicz supplied 19 for Elizabethtown, but it was Lancaster Bible's (1-0) depth and athleticism that eventually broke the hosts over the final 10 minutes of regulation.

Coming off a 28-3 season that included a trip to the North Eastern Athletic Association (NEAC) championship game and a National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division II National Championship, Lancaster Bible again showed it should be considered a threat under first-year head coach Zach Filzen.

Early on, however, it was the host Blue Jays (0-3) with their sights set on trying to reclaim the upper hand in the series after LBC won its first game in six all-time meetings last November.

Lapkowicz drained a three from the left wing to give the Blue Jays a 14-11 lead with 13:55 to go in the opening half and on their next trip down the floor, Eden finished a nice up-and-under for a five-point cushion, Elizabethtown's largest of the night.

Offensively, the Blue Jays clicked at a 48.3% clip (14-of-29) before the half, compared to LBC's 37.1% (13-of-35), but the Chargers were plus-2 in 3-pointers and plus-3 in free throws in a foul-riddled first half that saw the teams combine for 26 of them. The slight uptick in those categories allowed the visitors to go to intermission in front, 39-36.

Eden scored 14 of his 23 before the break and freshman Jamil Pines-Elliott had six for the Blue Jays. Eden, a junior center from Slatington, would continue to pour in the points in the opening stages of the second, with six in the first 3:48. He threw a pump fake that drew a Charger defender in the air and scored to give Elizabethtown its only lead of the second half, 48-47, with 16:12 to play.

Another triple from Lapkowicz had the hosts within four, 65-61, with 10:16 to go, but they would not score over the next four minutes, falling behind by 10 and never getting closer than eight the rest of the way.

Bryce Williams' 19 points led all Chargers. Dondre Perry and Jordan Mellinger added 16 apiece, CJ Dunston 12 and Herbie Brown 10. Williams (three) and Mellinger (two) combined to sink five 3-pointers in the second half. They were often timely and well outside the arc. Dunston also had team-highs of nine rebounds and four steals, with Perry grabbing eight boards.

Pines-Elliott concluded the night with eight points and a pair of helpers. Matt Ziegler and Tommy James both went for seven.

The Blue and Gray dropped the rebounding battle 44-33 and Lancaster Bible collected 18 fast break points to the Jays' two. Elizabethtown did benefit from 42 points in the paint after registering 48 Sunday against Manhattanville.

Elizabethtown will play its second of three in a row at The Thomp Saturday when Washington (Md.) visits for a 3 p.m. tip.