ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Wednesday, February 3, 1999

WIDENER STOPS ETOWN, 73-70, IN KEY LEAGUE MATCHUP; JAYS FALL INTO THIRD-PLACE TIE IN MAC COMMONWEALTH

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Frank DeLuca led four Widener players in double figures with 20 points as the Pioneers knocked off Elizabethtown, 73-70, in MAC Commonwealth League action on Wednesday.  With the loss, the Blue Jays fell to 12-6 (6-4 MAC Commonwealth League).

Kevin Cristofoletti (Kendall Park, N.J./Notre Dame) scored a team-high 16 points for Etown while Adam Weber (Stroudsburg, Pa./Pocono Mountain) added 13.  A.J. Beamer (New Holland, Pa./Garden Spot) turned in a solid all-around effort with eight points, seven rebounds and a career-high 12 assists.

Mike Siuchta added 15 points for Widener (11-9, 6-4) while Chris Hightower added 13 points and Markiese Merceir posted a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds.

Trailing by eight points midway through the second half, the Blue Jays fought back to take a 57-55 lead  on a basket by Mark Sweet (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville) with 5:58 remaining.

Widener, however, took control of the game with a 10-0 run over the next three-and-a-half minutes.  Merceir scored back-to-back baskets to start the run and Siuctha converted two of three free throws to give Widener a 61-57 lead with 3:57 left.  Hightower followed with a basket and DeLuca tossed in two free throws to give the visitors an eight-point lead with 2:10 remaining.

Etown pulled with four points in the game's final seconds, but DeLuca converted two more charity tosses to seal the win.

The Blue Jays shot 27-for-60 (45.0 percent) from the field on the night and held the Pioneers to a 26-for-61 (42.6 percent) shooting performance on the night.  Widener, however, went to the free throw line 13 more times than the Jays (21-8) and converted ten more foul shots to make the difference in the game.

The win moves Widener into a third-place tie with Elizabethtown in the MAC Commonwealth League.  Susquehanna is currently two games behind the Pioneers and Jays.

Etown returns to action on Saturday, February 6 at the University of Scranton.  Game time is 3 p.m.

Widener (73)
DeLuca 6-14 6-6 20, Williamson 2-8 0-1 5, Johnson 1-3 0-0 2, Siuchta 4-12 5-6 15, Hightower 5-8 3-3 13, Swoyer 3-4 2-2 8, Merceir 5-12 0-3 10. Totals: 26-61 16-21 73.

Elizabethtown (70)
Nikoloff 0-0 1-2 1, Schmoyer 2-3 0-0 6, Parise 0-0 0-0 0, Sattele 3-5 0-0 6, Cristofoletti 7-16 0-0 16, Unruh 4-7 0-0 9, Beamer 3-7 2-2 8, Stitzel 1-1 0-0 3, Renfrow 0-1 0-0 0, Weber 4-12 2-2 13, Porambo 1-1 0-0 3, Sweet 2-7 1-2 5. Totals: 27-60 6-8 70.

Three-pointers: Widener 5-20 (DeLuca 2-8, Williams 1-4, Johnson 0-2, Siuchta 2-6), Elizabethtown 10-25 (Schmoyer 2-3, Cristofoletti 2-8, Unruh 1-4, Beamer 0-2, Stitzel 1-1, Weber 3-6, Porambo 1-1). Rebounds: Widener 40 (Merceir 10), Elizabethtown 30 (Beamer 7, Sweet 7). Assists: Widener 15 (Williamson 4, Siuchta 4), Elizabethtown 19 (Beamer 12). Turnovers: Widener 13, Elizabethtown 13. Blocked Shots: Widener 4 (Merceir 4), Elizabethtown 3 (Sweet 3). Steals: Widener 4 (Williamson 2), Elizabethtown 6 (Weber 2). Personal Fouls: Widener 10, Elizabethtown 21. Technical Fouls: None. Attendance: 400.