Box Score
SELINSGROVE, Pa. — The Elizabethtown College women's basketball team kicked off head coach Yvonne Kauffman's 42nd and final season on the sidelines in style, using 19 points from freshman Cheyenne Stonerook and double figures from Nadine Yunginger and Katy Fogel to defeat Susquehanna 61-47 Wednesday evening.
After swapping the lead six times in the first four minutes, visiting E-town (1-0) opened up a nine-point edge on consecutive baskets by Stonerook, Taylor Kreider, Taylor Alwine and Fogel. The lead was still nine, 27-18, after a pair of Kendra Beittel free throws with one minute left in the first half, but the Crusaders (0-1) tried to steal momentum in the final 60 seconds.
Shannon Grunwald hit a jumper and Gina Palazzi (team-high 15 points) put in a pair of foul shots to trim the Elizabethtown advantage to five at the break.
Gradually, the Blue and Gray were able to pull away from Susquehanna in the second half. A lot of that was due to the inside play of the rookie Stonerook. She started the half with a basket and SU had no answers for the 6-footer from Lewistown. When the Crusaders tried to deal with Stonerook, it often times resulted in the E-town center ending up at the foul line. All she did there was go 9-for-9. Not only did Stonerook command the paint, she controlled the boards as well. No player on either side grabbed more rebounds than Stonerook's 10.
The freshman wasn't alone in lifting Elizabethtown to its second straight season-opening road win. Yunginger was a productive 4-of-6 from the floor and a perfect 6-of-6 at the line for 15 points. Fogel hit a 3-pointer and four other buckets for 11 points. The Mifflinburg product also had nine rebounds, coming within one of her first career double-double.
Foul shooting was a boon to the Blue Jays all night. They were a combined 27-of-32 (84.4%). Beittel scored all six of her points at the line and four different E-town players attempted five or more free throws on the night. Susquehanna only made it to the line 17 times total.
Stephanie Ellwood contributed a game-high seven assists for the visitors, while Alwine paced the team with three steals. Amarra Boone joined Palazzi in double figures for SU with 11 points and Mariah Monahan tallied a game-high seven steals.
Elizabethtown, which defeated Marywood by a point, 68-67, in last year's season-opener, now gets ready for the Terry Greene Memorial Tournament at Franklin & Marshall College this coming Saturday and Sunday. The Jays tip-off against Immaculata in its opening game at the tournament Saturday afternoon.