Box Score
Maybe because it hadn't played in Memorial Hall in 13 years, the Elizabethtown women's basketball team got lost en route, causing a 15-minute delay in the start of its game against Muhlenberg.
The regionally ranked Blue Jays had trouble finding their way once the ball was tipped, too.
Muhlenberg put on an impressive display at both ends of the court, breezing past Elizabethtown 72-48 for its 12th win in 13 games.
The Blue Jays (15-6) were fifth in the Mid-Atlantic in the first NCAA regional rankings of the season, released earlier in the day, and their only other loss by more than 15 points was to nationally ranked Scranton. The Mules (15-6) now have two wins against regionally ranked opponents, having also defeated fourth-ranked McDaniel.
Senior Leanna Tallamy led Muhlenberg in scoring for the school-record 11th game in a row, netting 19 points in only 26 minutes. Junior Christina Santone added 12 points and four blocked shots, while senior Hannah Rush played an outstanding game with 10 points, six assists and four steals.
The Mules shot 49.1 percent (57.1 percent in the second half) against an Elizabethtown team that came in ranked in the top 40 in Division III in scoring defense. On the other side, they held the Blue Jays to 27.4-percent shooting, including a 3-for-22 performance from three-point range.
Two big runs sent Muhlenberg into the locker room with a double-digit lead. Trailing 14-13 eight minutes into the game, the Mules went on an 11-0 run that featured five points by Rush (pictured above), two on a layup after a steal.
A three-pointer by Rush made it 27-16 at the four-minute mark, but Elizabethtown scored the next six points to cut the margin to five. Muhlenberg responded by closing the half on another 11-0 run to open up a 38-22 advantage.
The Blue Jays never got closer than 14 in the second half, and the Mules led by at least 20 for the final 10 minutes of the game.
Santone's four blocks increased her career total to 101, making her the fifth player in team history to reach triple digits. With her six assists, Rush – who entered the game ninth in Division III in assist-to-turnover ratio – moved into sixth place on the Mules' all-time list with 286 career assists.
Sophomore Caroline Barberi gave Muhlenberg an early lift with a pair of three-pointers and finished with six points, six rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Michelle Poole scored seven points.
Meanwhile, in the Centennial Conference, Gettysburg defeated Johns Hopkins, 53-46. That means the Mules can clinch a first-round playoff bye by defeating Franklin & Marshall in their Valentine's Day/Senior Day home finale on Saturday.
