WILKES-BARRE, Pa.—The Elizabethtown men's basketball historic season came to a close Tuesday evening as the Blue Jays fell, 74-70 to Wilkes in the Landmark Conference First Round.

The 2025-26 season marked the first time that Etown appeared in the Landmark Conference Tournament since joining the conference in 2014-15. The Blue Jays 17-win season is also their best since 2003-04. The team's 10 Landmark wins is the Blue Jays best since joining the conference and the program's best since the 2002-03 season.

Austin Finarelli led the team with 21 points as he went 8 for 17 in field goals and 5 for 6 from the foul line. Woody Machado totaled 11 points while Reese Ziegler added nine points and 13 rebounds.

Etown was efficient in the first half shooting .484 in field goals and .417 from the arch. Wilkes started off the first half with a 13-7 lead. Two back-to-back layups brought Etown within two at 12:54. At 11:09, Zuri Harris sunk a three to bring the score to 16-17. Just under 10 minutes, the Colonels had pulled away by eight points. Finarelli kept Etown within reach of Wilkes as he tallied eight points in two minutes. A three from Ben Stanton tied the game at 31-31 with just over four minutes remaining. A three from Harris and another from Stanton brought the Jays out to a 39-32 lead at halftime.

A Machado layup to start the second half put Etown up by nine points. Wilkes quickly closed the gap and tied up the game to 43-43. At 4-0 run from Wilkes at the midway point brought them ahead, 57-49. At 4:29, Machado helped cut the Colonels lead to just two. The Blue Jays couldn't fully catch up as they ultimately fell, 74-70.

Etown finishes the season with a 17-9 overall record and a 10-8 record in conference play.