ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. -- Catholic got the better of the Elizabethtown College women's basketball team at Thompson Gymnasium for the second time this season as the Cardinals advanced to Saturday's championship game at Scranton with a 79-67 win over the Blue Jays in Thursday night's semifinal. Summer McNulty had a team-high 21 points.

The Jays only hit four of their 13 shot attempts in the first quarter, but were 8-for-11 at the foul line to help provide complementary scoring. McNulty and Allyia Kennedy combined for those eight made free throws with McNulty hitting five and Kennedy three. Elizabethtown would not shoot a free throw for the rest of the half as the Cardinals led 19-16 after one.

Makenna Mummert drained a three with 4:20 left before halftime that gave Etown a 28-26 lead. Those would be the final points of the second, however, for the Jays, as Catholic put the clamps on while going on a 10-0 run to head into the locker room ahead 36-28.

Elizabethtown scored the first six points of the third quarter as DaniRae Renno, McNulty, and Jess King made it a two-point game. Kerry Flaherty hit three treys for Catholic in the third quarter alone, all coming in big spots to help cushion the Cardinals lead after the Blue Jays would get close.

McNulty drilled a three from the right wing to make it a 46-43 game with 5:23 left in the third. The Cardinals quickly scored five in less than a minute, capped by another Flaherty three to put them back up by eight points, 51-43. McNulty was able to sneak in a layup before time expired to close out the third quarter as Etown outscored CATHU 25-19 in the third and trailed by two, 55-53, going into the fourth.

Lindsay Boyd tied the game on Elizabethtown's first offensive possession. That came after the senior had blocked a Flaherty three-point attempt and grabbed the rebound at the other end.

Catholic hit timely shots and were 9-for-10 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter alone to stave off Etown's comeback. Cyleigh Wilson hit a three with 3:10 remaining to get back within nine. A minute and a half later, Mummert's three cut the lead down to five with 1:45 left.

Flaherty sunk the dagger with her sixth three of the game, coming with 44 seconds to go to put her team back up by eight points. The Cardinals hit four foul shots late to lock up the berth into Saturday's championship.

Elizabethtown, in good position to make the NCAA Tournament, will see who and where they may play with the Div. III Women's Basketball Selection Show scheduled for Monday, March 3, at 2:30 p.m.