ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- The Elizabethtown College women's basketball team went up against nationally-ranked Scranton on Saturday at Thompson Gymnasium. The Lady Royals led for most of the game and beat the Blue Jays by 13, 66-53. Lydia Lawson led E-town with 21 points.

Lawson had Elizabethtown's (7-5, 0-2 Landmark) first six points in the first quarter, but a rough start from the floor had the Blue Jays trailing Scranton (13-0, 2-0 Landmark), ranked No. 7 in the WBCA Division III Coaches' Poll, early on. A layup by Sofia Recupero put the Royals ahead 9-4, but a steal and resulting layup by Lawson had the Jays down just three with a little over a minute to go in the first. Marissa Emlet drained a three with 25 seconds left on an assist from Angie Hawkins to tie the game up at 9-9. Though, Bridgette Mann, the game's high scorer with 26 points, drained a jumper just before the buzzer sounded.

Scranton started the second quarter on an 8-0 run to build a ten-point lead. Lawson got inside after Hannah Kowalski's jumper made it 19-9 and drew the foul plus the hoop to earn the ensuing free throw. She sank it and it was down to a seven-point deficit for E-town, 19-12. Lawson finished 10-for-12 from the line in the game.

As the Blue Jays' shooting woes continued, the Royals went on a 10-0 run capped off by Mann's layup with 4:29 remaining in the half to make it 29-12. Veronica Christ sank a three a possession later, one of three in the game for the sophomore. A minute and a half later, Christ sank her second of the quarter as Elizabethtown tried to creep back into it, only down 11 with under three to go before halftime. Scranton led 31-18 at the intermission.

The defending Landmark champions led by as many as 21 in the third quarter, but the Jays never gave up on the game. Roni Isenberg hit a pair of free throws to start the fourth quarter and a bit later Christ came up with a steal and went the other way for the fast break bucket to cut the lead to 12 with 7:57 left in the game to force Scranton into a timeout.

E-town couldn't get it any closer than 12 as the Royals, led by Mann, kept the foot on the pedal to finish off the game and end with a 13-point victory at Thompson.

Lawson's 21 points came on 5-for-11 shooting including the 10 makes at the foul line. Christ was also in double figures with 18. Emlet led the Jays with a team-high 9 rebounds. Mann hit 11 of her 15 shot attempts and Makenzie Mason finished with a double-double for Scranton with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

The Blue Jays are at Goucher on Wednesday, January 9, at 7 p.m.