Box Score

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Junior Julia Antonelli (Hanover, Pa./New Oxford) and senior Rachael Scheller (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) reached some huge milestones  for the fifth-seeded Lycoming College women’s basketball team, but No. 4-seed Elizabethtown College shot 46 percent from the field en route to a 72-55 win in the first round of the Commonwealth Conference playoffs on Monday night, Feb. 18, at Thompson Gymnasium.
 
Antonelli, who finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for her eighth double-double of the season, reached a pair of milestones in the first half, becoming the 13^th player in school history to reach 800 career points with her first point and she became the 11^th player in school history to reach 200 rebounds in a season with her second board of the night.
 
Scheller became the fourth player in school history to reach 300 career assists with her last of five on the night. The senior also posted a team-high 16 points for the Warriors (8-17 overall), hitting 5-of-8 field goals and canning two 3-pointers in her final game with the Blue and Gold.
 
Elizabethtown (15-10 overall) advances to the semifinals of the Commonwealth Conference playoffs, where it will face No. 1-seed Messiah on Wednesday, Feb. 20.
 
Down by 12 at the break, Lycoming got the first five points of the half, as freshman Olivia Manges (York, Pa./West York) hit a deep jumper and senior Rachael Scheller (Sunbury, Pa./Shikellamy) connected on a catch-and-fire 3-pointer, making it a seven-point game with 18:38 remaining.
 
The Blue Jays scored the next two buckets, but the Warriors fought back within six points, as sophomore Janelle Ziminski (Drums, Pa./Hazleton Area) hit a 3-pointer with 10:57 left to make it 44-38. The Blue Jays got the lead back to 10 points, though, as Rachel Forjan and Erika Ferro hit deep jumpers. Kendra Beitel followed with a  three-point play and it took the Warriors nearly 3:30 minutes to get the lead back into single digits, as Scheller connected on an old-fashioned 3-point play with 7:18 left to make it 53-44.
 
The Blue Jays answered back, as Nadine Yunginger hit a huge 3-pointer from the right corner, starting a run of six straight points before Lycoming could answer, drawing back within 12 as Manges canned a 3-pointer with 2:38 left.
 
After that, the Warriors made the Blue Jays win the game on the free throw line and the Blue Jays were able to convert 8-of-14 in the final 150 seconds to secure the win.
 
Taylor Kreider posted 16 points and nine rebounds for a hot-shooting Elizabethtown in the first half, as the Blue Jays hit 16-of-33 from the floor in the half, helping it take a 38-26 lead into the break.
 
After the team’s traded buckets to open the game, the Blue Jays reeled off six straight points, with four coming from Taylor Kreider. The two teams fought back and forth from that point before Lycoming cut the lead down to three points on a layup by sophomore Kat Andriani (Ephrata, Pa./Ephrata) and a layup from Antonelli to make it 17-14 with 9:34 left.
 
The Blue Jays went on a 9-4 run, but Lycoming answered, as Scheller and freshman Shanley Harlacker (Red Lion, Pa./Red Lion Area) dialed up 3-pointers to make it 26-24. The Blue Jays responded with seven straight points, taking a 33-24 lead with 4:22 left before Scheller stopped the run with a free throw. A 3-pointer from Katy Fogel with 20 seconds left wrapped up a 12-2 run to end the half.
 
Manges added 10 points and sophomore Ali Derr (Milton, Pa./Milton Area) notched seven points.
 
Krieder finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds and six assists to lead the Blue Jays and both Yunginger and Forjan posted 12 points. Taylor Alwine also notched 10 points and five rebounds.