ELIZABETHTOWN COLLEGE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Thursday, February 11, 1999

ELIZABETHTOWN WINS 800TH GAME WITH 68-49 VICTORY OVER WESTERN MARYLAND; BLUE JAYS ARE FIRST NCAA WOMEN'S PROGRAM TO REACH MILESTONE TOTAL

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- When history rang the Elizabethtown (Pa.) College women's basketball program with an 800 number on Thursday night, the Blue Jays were ready to take the call.

Elizabethtown defeated Western Maryland, 68-49, in non-league action on Thursday to become the first women's basketball program in all divisions of the NCAA with 800 wins.  The University of Tennessee is second on the all-time list with 779 wins.  No other NCAA women's program has won 700.

Carmen Chiles led four players in double figures with 20 points while Abbie Fabian and Shauntae Stancil scored 14 points apiece to lead the Blue Jays (19-2) to their historic victory.  Kim Boback chipped in with 12 points for Etown.

Kathi Snyder led the way for Western Maryland, scoring 20 points and pulling down a team-high 12 rebounds to record her 11th double-double of the season.  Jill Ibex also reached double figures in points and rebounds for the Green Terror with 14 points and 11 boards.

Elizabethtown head coach Yvonne Kauffman, who registered her 500th coaching victory against Western Maryland in last season's meeting, noted that her team was able to stay focused during the milestone run and able to put the win into perspective.

"It's just a fantastic feeling," Kauffman said.  "You work so hard and so long for something like this, that when it actually happens, it's almost unbelievable.  I'm proud of my team because they've understood all along the tradition of this program and what tonight's game really meant."

After getting out the early-game jitters in front of a packed Thompson Gymnasium, the Blue Jays took charge of the game with a 16-4 run midway through the first half.

With Etown trailing 17-11 and 9:49 remaining before halftime, Fabian and Stancil scored baskets around a Green Terror turnover to pull within 17-15 and force a Western Maryland timeout.

Fabian tied the scored with another basket after the stoppage and Chiles put the Blue Jays ahead 19-17 with a driving layup.

After Snyder tied the game at 21 on a short jumper with 5:35 left in the half, Chiles scored a pair of baskets and converted two free throws to put Etown ahead for good at 27-21.

Snyder cut the lead to 27-23, but Chiles scored on Etown's next two possessions to help stake the Blue Jays to a 33-24 halftime lead.

Western Maryland closed within five early in the second half, but the Blue Jays were able to answer each Green Terror run before taking a commanding 50-37 edge with 7:34 remaining.  Western Maryland, which entered the game ranked sixth in the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic region, could get no closer than ten points down the stretch.

"I'm glad it was able to happen at this point in the season and happen at home,: said a relieved Kauffman.  "To be compared to the Tennessee women's program in any respect is a tremendous honor."

Etown, ranked second in the Mid-Atlantic region and 15th in Division III, shot only 29-for-80 (36.2 percent) on the night, but held Western Maryland to a 22-for-62 (35.5 percent) shooting performance and forced 27 turnovers.

Fabian handed out a team-best six rebounds and made four steals while recording her eighth double-double of the season for the Blue Jays.  Patty Russo scored nine points and handed out a team-high six assists for Western Maryland.
 

	1st	2nd	-	Final
Western Maryland (17-5)	24	25	-	49
Elizabethtown (19-2)	33	35	-	68

Western Maryland (49)
Miller 1-6 0-0 2, Russo 3-9 3-4 9, Tracey 0-0 0-0 0, Snyder 9-23 2-4 20, Bray 0-0 0-0 0, Brenneman 0-1 0-0 0, Ibex 7-16 0-0 14, Jarman 2-7 0-0 4. Totals: 22-62 5-8 49.

Elizabethtown (68)
Thompson 1-2 0-1 2, Fabian 6-15 2-2 14, Goldstein 1-11 0-0 3, Lucey 1-4 0-0 2, Still 0-0 1-2 1, Boback 6-16 0-0 12, Stancil 7-18 0-0 14, Chiles 7-14 6-10 20. Totals: 29-80 9-15 68.

Three-pointers: WMC 0-4 (Miller 0-2, Russo 0-2), Etown 1-12 (Fabian 0-2, Goldstein 1-8, Lucey 0-2). Rebounds: WMC 41 (Snyder 12), Etown 51 (Fabian 12). Assists: WMC 15 (Russo, Jarman 6), Etown 20 (Fabian 6).  Steals: WMC 6 (Miller, Jarman 2), Etown 17 (Thompson 5).  Turnovers: WMC 27, Etown 17.  Blocked shots: WMC 5 (Ibex 4), Etown 4 (Fabian 2).  Personal Fouls: WMC 12, Etown 9.  Technical Fouls: None.  Attendance: 1,000.