ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. - The Elizabethtown College men's basketball team fell to McDaniel, 76-72, Thursday night in non-conference action.

With the loss, the Blue Jays fall to 5-5 on the season, while the Green Terror improve to 4-4.

Freshman Rance Russo scored a team-high 17 points with six rebounds. Senior Jalin Robinson finished with 16 and junior Dylan Rowe came off the bench to register 14 points.

Sophomore Charles Contee led four difference McDaniel players in double figures with a game-high 18 points.

Down by three (8-5) early in the first half, Elizabethtown grabbed the momentum, using a 13-5 run to take a 18-13 lead with 13:06 remaining in the period. Russo and Rowe both had four points of this stretch.

McDaniel managed to close the gap and took a one point advantage (25-24) after sophomore Jeong Hwang made two from the free throw line with 5:29 on the clock. That would be the final lead of the period for the Green Terror, as the Blue Jays used a 13-6 run to take a 37-31 into the locker room. Fitzpatrick, junior Vinny Gambelunghe and Russo each dropped three points over this stretch.

In the opening eight minutes of the second half the score was knotted four times, finding its way to 51-51 after a steal and layup by sophomore Tyreke Herbert with 12:22 remaining in the game. Etown used this burst from Herbert to go on a 10-2 run to take a 59-53 lead with 8:36 on the clock. Rowe recorded six points over this rally.

The Blue Jays pushed its advantage to 10 points after a jumper by Robinson made the score 69-59 with 2:48 left in the game.Juniata, however, took control of the final minutes of the game, rattling off a 17-3 run, led by 12 points from Contee, to take the 76-72 victory.

Elizabethtown shot 59.1% (26-44) from the floor and made 7-16 (43.8%) from three. McDaniel finished the game 24-55 (43.6%) overall and shot 41.7% (10-24) from three. The Green Terror took advantage of 10 offensive rebounds, compiling 20 second chance points.

The Blue Jays hit the road on Tuesday, January 4 to take on Lancaster Bible. Opening tip is set for 7 p.m.