SCRANTON, Pa. -- Winning on the road in conference is never an easy job, especially when traveling north to face perennial powerhouse Scranton at the John Long Center. Though, for the second straight season, the Elizabethtown College women's basketball team knocked off the nationally-ranked Royals by eight points on their home court. Veronica Christ tied a career-high with 28 points and set a new career-high with six made three-pointers in the 78-70 win.

It was an evenly played game between the top two seeds from last year's Landmark Conference playoffs. Scranton (11-2, 1-1 Landmark), tied for fifth in the most recent WBCA poll, led after the first quarter, 19-18. Elizabethtown (6-6, 2-0 Landmark) would outscore the Royals by a point in the second quarter as the teams went to the half tied at 35-35.

Makenzie Mason had the Royals back in front right away in the third quarter, grabbing the rebound off her own miss for the put back. Scranton had 13 second chance points to just four for E-town. The hosts also held a major edge in points in the paint, 40-18.

The Blue Jays were able to counteract the deficit down low by hitting a season-high ten treys as a unit and a season-best .476 from beyond the arc. E-town also hit free throws at a 78 percent clip, which came in very handy in the fourth quarter.

Scranton got ahead by four, but Marissa Emlet was able to maneuver around her defender down low for the scoop and score from the left side of the basket. Two possessions later, Angie Hawkins sank one of the team's ten threes to return Elizabethtown to the lead, 40-39.

Neither team led by more than four points over the final two quarters. Jillian Nagy gave EC a three-point lead with a driving layup as the clock wound down in the third. Lily Warhaftig cancelled out Nagy's basket with one of her own with less than a second. The Jays led by one, 57-56, going into the fourth.

Warhaftig took a steal the other way to begin the final period to send Scranton ahead by a point, though it would be their last lead of the game, which only lasted 1:07. Lydia Lawson grabbed a defensive board and went the other way for the fast break layup. A few minutes later, Christ drained one of her team-high six treys that gave Elizabethtown a five-point advantage, 63-58, with 7:17 left.

The Royals went on a 7-2 run to tie the game up at 65-65 with 3:56 remaining. Emlet broke the tie with a jumper from the left elbow coming out of a Blue Jays' timeout. Mikayla Ruth made a similar move a few possessions later in a two-point game. The senior took the ball at the top of the key as the ball was swung around the top of Scranton's 2-3 zone. Ruth took a dribble, pulled up at the foul line, and sank her jumper. Then, after a Scranton turnover, Christ drained an important three-pointer as E-town extended the lead to seven with less than a minute to go.

The Royals hung in the game, but were forced to foul multiple times before the Jays reached the bonus, which took another ten seconds off the clock. Lawson was the first to step up and knock down a pair of freebies. Emily Shurina hit a three to stop the clock and bring Scranton within four.

Ruth wound up with the ball on the inbounds and was fouled. Like Lawson, Ruth calmly sank two foul shots to restore the lead to six. Emlet grabbed a missed three and drew the foul. She would hit both ensuing free throws to make it an eight-point game. One final shot from Scranton didn't go and Elizabethtown completed its upset of the Royals, 78-70.

Christ hit on 11 of 17 shots to tie her career-high. It was the 12th straight game to start the season in double figures for the junior. Ruth went for 16 points and a season-high four assists while Angie Hawkins had 11 points off the bench. Emlet posted eight points and nine rebounds for the Jays.

The win snapped a four-game winless skid for E-town. The women's basketball team will host Goucher on Wednesday, January 15, at 7 p.m.