Andrew Mantz vs. Messiah 12/3/11
Thom Swarr
62
Gwynedd-Mercy GMMB 8-4
64
Winner Elizabethtown ETWN-M 4-7
Gwynedd-Mercy GMMB
8-4
62
Final
64
Elizabethtown ETWN-M
4-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Gwynedd-Mercy GMMB 36 26 62
Elizabethtown ETWN-M 32 32 64

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Cardiac Jays do it again

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- Building through winning is the way of the Elizabethtown men's basketball team right now. A rough patch that saw the Blue Jays start 1-6 with four single-digit losses has given way to three dramatic wins in the last four games. Wednesday night against a strong Gywnedd-Mercy side, E-town came through again. This time free throws in the final 40 seconds proved the difference in a 64-62 non-conference victory at Thompson Gymnasium.

The visitors run-and-gun offense, which came into play averaging 82.3 points per contest was held well below that average by an E-town defense that has steadily improved from the start of the season. Gwynedd-Mercy (8-4) and the Jays exchanged counter punches of scoring in the first 20 minutes, the lead swapping hands five times. A jump from Brandon Sharp and a three from Justin Knight lifted the Griffins from a 31-31 tie with 1:56 left in the half to a 36-32 halftime lead.

Andrew Mantz and Steve Ennis did much of the leg work for the Blue Jays in the first half, both scoring eight points. Mantz added six rebounds to start a night that saw him finish with a career-high 16 boards. Fellow post player Lee Eckert contributed five first half rebounds and four points as E-town held a slim 26-24 edge on the boards. In one crazy sequence Eckert grabbed four straight offensive boards before putting the finishing touches on a lay-up that brought the home side within 11-8 with 13:12 to go in the period.

E-town's (4-7) chance to break away came after the teams became deadlocked for the sixth time in the contest. With the score all even at 48 and 9:57, Ben Cable nailed a three-pointer. A pair of Mantz foul shots were answered by a jumper from the Griffins' Doug Berzins before Joe Schwalm knocked down another shot from outside to give E-town a 56-50 lead.

Schwalm recaptured his scoring touch after coming up with just 11 points in his last two games combined. The sophomore from Halifax lit it up in the second half, dropping 15 of his team-high 17 on the Gywnedd-Mercy defense.

Unlike the last two home games, where E-town picked up wins on its final offensive possession, the Blue Jays eased up and grabbed the win on their second and third to last offensive opportunities on this night. With 38 seconds left Cable was fouled, and converted 1-of-2. His miss on the second shot deflected out-of-bounds off a Gwynedd-Mercy player and allowed the Blue and Gray to retain possession. Schwalm then hit 1-of-2 as well to give E-town a 64-62 edge.

Brandyn Wims, though he scored a game-high 19 points, missed his final of 19 attempts from the floor with five seconds left to secure the win for E-town.

The Blue Jays have their first winning streak of the season after the victory over GMC and also carry a three-game home win streak into Saturday afternoon's game against Eastern.

Mantz was one of three Jays to place in double-figures with 12 points, his fourth double-double of the year. Steve Ennis finished 3-of-7 from the floor and 2-of-4 from downtown for 10 points. Will Schlosser added seven points for E-town.

Gwynedd-Mercy's Dan DelConte, the nation's 14th leading scorer at 22.7 points per game, was held more than nine points below his average. DelConte was 4-of-16 for 13 points. Frank Champion finished with 10 for the visitors. The ball went through Wims, DelConte and Champion for the Griffins, as the three players combined to take 47 of the team's 72 shots.
 
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