ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Senior
Connor Moffatt registered his fourth double-double of the season, pacing the Elizabethtown men's basketball team to an 80-71 victory over Penn State Harrisburg on day one of the Spooky Nook Tournament.
With the win, the Blue Jays improve to 5-4 on the season and move onto the championship game, while the Nittany Lions fall to 5-4.
Moffatt finished with a team-high 24 points and 15 rebounds. Senior Bryce Green came one rebound short of a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine board. Joining the two in double figures was senior Ethan Dubois (12) and freshman
Wyatt Hockenberry (10).
Penn State Harrisburg was paced by sophomore Donyae Baylor-Carrol, dropping a game-high 28 points. Sophomore Dylan Daniels recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds, while freshman Nate Curry finished with 15 points.
Elizabethtown came out firing in the first half, opening the game on a 14-4 run after Greene's put-back layup with 15:17 remaining in the opening stanza.
The Blue Jays continued stretch its advantage, pushing ahead by 14 after a humper from Greene with just over nine to play in the first period.
Sophomore
Zach Nannen sent Elizabethton into the locker room with a 16 point lead (42-26) after Moffatt found him with the pass for the final basket of the half.
The Nittany Lions began to chip away in the second half, cutting the Blue Jays' advantage to seven after a three by Baylor Carrol made the score 53-46 with 12:54 on the clock.
Penn State Harrisburg continued to battle, making it a one possession game with just under 6:30 remaining, after Baylor-Carrol made one of three from the line to bring the score to 61-59.
Elizabethtown, however, weathered the storm down the stretch, never relinquishing its lead and closing out the 80-71 victory for the team's second straight win.
The Blue Jays shot 50% (28-56) from the floor and made 7-15 (46.7 %) from three. The Nittany Lions made 26-63 (44.4%) overall while shooting 40% (8-26) from three.
Elizabethtown earns a spot in the Spooky Nook Tournament championship game, taking on St. Mary's (Md.) who topped Nazareth in the earlier game, 89-77. Opening tip for the final is set for 3 p.m.
