ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- It was a slow start for the Elizabethtown College women's basketball team in Saturday's eventual 27-point thumping of Susquehanna. The Blue Jays dug themselves out of a 13-2 hole in the first quarter to tie the game up by halftime and then take over in the second half to beat the River Hawks, 79-52. Four Blue Jays recorded double figures including Jessica King's double-double. Etown also improved to 9-0 at home on the season with the win.

No. 20 Elizabethtown (17-1, 7-1 Landmark) hasn't spent too much time this season trailing, but its what they found themselves doing in the first quarter after Susquehanna (7-12, 2-6 Landmark) came right at them from the opening tip. The River Hawks built up a 13-2 lead after Julia Roth's and-one with 4:49 to go in the first.

The Blue Jays did finish out the quarter on an 11-4 run to get back within four. After Etown split a pair at the foul line, first-year players Makenna Mummert and Kaeli Romanowski hit back-to-back shots to make it a six-point game, 13-7 with 2:04 left. King then scored the final six points for Elizabethtown, including a jumper with six seconds left after Romanowski grabbed the defensive board, pushed the ball up the floor, and dished to the junior for the bucket.

Susquehanna quickly pushed their lead back up to nine, but a jumper from Cass Peris and a three-pointer from Cyleigh Wilson had gotten the Jays within six with a little over half the second left to go.

Like in the first, Etown would finish out the quarter strong, this time on a 10-2 run to get level by halftime. Peris started that run with another made jumper. Summer McNulty got to the foul line and knocked down both attempts to cut the deficit to four. King grabbed one of her team-high 11 rebounds and sent Romanowski out on the fastbreak. The freshman was fouled and hit both free throws to make it a two-point game. Sure enough, Romanowski made another customary defensive play, stealing the in-bounds pass and dishing to Mummert for two to tie the game at 28-28 with 2:39 to go before the half.

The teams would head to the locker tied at 30-30.

The third quarter was where the game was won for Elizabethtown, as they came out and steamrolled the River hawks to the tune of 31 points, more than they scored in the previous two quarters combined. Etown shot 10-for-15 from the floor, including 4-for-5 from deep and 7-for-8 at the foul line.

The Blue Jays started the half with the ball and right off the bat, McNulty found Wilson for one of her three treys to put Elizabethtown ahead for the first time in the game. DaniRae Renno, one of four players in double figures for the Jays, had 12 of her 14 points in the third as Susquehanna was unable to contain the sophomore in the paint. Renno was 5-for-7 on her own and grabbed five boards as Etown outrebounded the River Hawks 11-1 in the third. Their five offensive rebounds led to eight second chance points for the Blue Jays. Renno nearly outscored Susquehanna on her own and Elizabethtown took the third quarter 31-13 to open up a massive lead over their opponents.

EC pulled away even more in the fourth, especially over the final half of the quarter. Susquehanna only managed a single point over the last 4:23 of the game. Romanowski, who was all over the floor for the Jays, grabbed one of her four offensive rebounds and connected on the put-back to get the lead for Elizabethtown back up to 21.

Allyia Kennedy five of the team's final seven points in the fourth quarter. Mummert would add a fast break layup after Wilson's steal at the other end.

The 27-point victory was the 12th game in which the Blue Jays have won by at least 20 points and the seventh such game on their home court.

Elizabethtown will finish out a four-game home stand when they host Juniata on Wednesday, February 1, at 7 p.m.