WILKES-BARRE, Pa. -- A slow start to the second half didn't help the Elizabethtown College men's basketball team in Saturday's 84-79 loss at King's (Pa.). Trailing by one at the half, the Monarchs built a double-digit lead before the Blue Jays made it close late, but were unable to overcome King's in the end. Tyreke Herbert led all scorers with 20 points in the game.

King's (3-1) led the entire way, though the Blue Jays kept it close and never went away. Niko Georgelis and Herbert made sure of that in the first half, combining for 30 of Elizabethtown's (1-3) 44 first-half points. The duo were 12-for-14 from the field and 6-for-8 from deep.

Etown was down nine with four and a half minutes to go when Jalin Robinson found Georgelis for one of his four treys in the first half. Then, down eight a few minutes later, Herbert dropped in a three to cut the deficit to five with two and a half to play. Georgelis, Austin Finarelli, and Herbert closed out the half with the final six points to help the Jays get back to within one, 45-44, at halftime.

The Monarchs threatened to get away, building their lead back up to nine, but Elizabethtown hung around. Finarelli poured in seven of his nine points in the second half.

The Blue Jays trailed by 11 when Finarelli knocked down a three with 7:34 to go. Two minutes later he found a cutting Ben Stanton for the layup and Etown found themselves down only five.

Herbert and Finarelli got EC within three with 1:10 to go after the freshman stole the ball from Carmine Castiello under his own basket. 

Etown couldn't convert late, however, as the Monarchs got two foul shots late to clinch the game.

Dylan Rowe had 11 points and 14 rebounds for the Jays, one of four in double figures. Rance Russo added 12.

The men's basketball team will play at Lebanon Valley on Tuesday, November 22, at 8 p.m.