Article Courtesy of Athletic Communications Intern, Cammi Quirk

SCRANTON, Pa. – The University of Scranton men's basketball team battled for all 40 minutes but ultimately fell to Elizabethtown College, 79–72, at The John Long Center on Saturday afternoon.

The Basics

• Final Score: Elizabethtown 79, Scranton 72
• Record: Elizabethtown (15-6, 8-6 Landmark); Scranton (17-4, 10-4 Landmark)

How It Happened

• After Elizabethtown began with a 4-0 run, Scranton responded with early buckets from Josias Carbon and Will Marion, and Ben Robinson connected on a three-pointer and then a layup to give Scranton a 10-8 lead in the first four minutes of play, setting the tone offensively.
• Each team traded blows early on, but Scranton built a 37–26 lead thanks to strong ball movement and consistent defense. The run was highlighted by threes from Jon Spatola and Brendan Carr, as well as a key block from Carbon, as Scranton grabbed an 11-point lead with 5:26 left in the half.
• The Royals continued to build momentum late in the half, as Carr knocked down a corner three and Nick Ruisi cleaned up a missed shot at the buzzer to give Scranton a 42-39 halftime lead.
• Scranton stayed competitive early in the second half with scores from Ruisi, Spatola, Carr, and a corner three from Luca Baratta to tie the game at 52-52 with 14:50 left in the game.
• Elizabethtown stole the Royals' momentum and began to pull away midway through the half, taking a 12-point lead with 7:40 left in the game thanks to three Blue Jays' three-pointers.
• Scranton got back in it with strong three-point shooting of its own, as Robinson and Carr connected from beyond the arc on back-to-back possessions to get the Royals within nine with under seven minutes to play.
• Scranton got the deficit as close as six points in the final minutes, but the late push wasn't enough, as the Blue Jays closed out the game with a 79–72 victory.

Top Performers

• Brendan Carr: 16 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 4–7 from three-point range
• Josias Carbon: 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block
• Nick Ruisi: 12 points, 2 rebounds, 5–8 from the field
• Jon Spatola: 10 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds
• Ben Robinson: 10 points, 5 rebounds

By the Numbers

• FG: Scranton 48.3% | Elizabethtown 51.7%
• 3PT: Scranton 50% | Elizabethtown 32%
• FT: Scranton 100% | Elizabethtown 73.3%
• Rebounds: Scranton 32 | Elizabethtown 27

Up Next: Scranton will travel to Williamsport, Pa., to play Lycoming College for another Landmark Conference matchup on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.