November 19, 2025
Moravian Comes Up Short to Elizabethtown in 2025-26 Home & Landmark Conference Opener
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University women’s basketball squad nearly pulled off an upset of Elizabethtown College in the Greyhounds 2025-26 home and Landmark Conference opener, falling 70-67 to the 14th-ranked Blue Jays.
BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University women's basketball squad nearly pulled off an upset of Elizabethtown College in the Greyhounds 2025-26 home and Landmark Conference opener, falling 70-67 to the 14th-ranked Blue Jays.
How It Happened
- The Hounds scored the first six points of the game on baskets from senior guard Juliana Vassallo, junior guard Lizzie Lustig and junior forward Grace Steffen. Elizabethtown answered with a pair of three-pointers to tie the contest at 6-6 before two baskets from sophomore guard Megan Elias has Moravian back on top 10-6 midway through the first quarter. The Blue Jays tied the score at 10-10 while the Blue & Grey moved back ahead 14-10 after a jumper by Lustig. Elizabethtown eventually took a 17-14 edge and led 19-16 after ten minutes of action
- Senior guard Jayda Cartagena and freshman guard Abby Hayes hit shots to start the second quarter to give Moravian the lead again at 20-19. The squads traded the lead five times over the remainder of the half with a three-pointer from Lustig pulled the Greyhounds within two points, 35-33, at the intermission
- Steffen began the second half with a jumper to knot the game at 35-35 before the Blue Jays began to pull away. Elizabethtown appeared to take a ten-point lead with just over three minutes left in the period before a review negated a three-pointer. The Hounds used the reversal to go on a 10-3 run and pull ahead 51-50 in the final minute of the third quarter. The Blue Jays added a basket for a 52-51 edge after 30 minutes of play
- Steffen opened the scoring again in the fourth quarter to give Moravian a 53-52 lead, and the Hounds were up 61-58 after a three-pointer from Vassallo with 5:22 to go. Elizabethtown countered with nine straight points to lead 67-61 with just over three minutes remaining before a three-pointer by Elias cut it to a one possession game. The Blue Jays were up 70-64 with 20 seconds to go when Lustig drained a three-pointer to make it a one possession contest again. Moravian had the ball with a chance to tie in the waning seconds but ended up turning the ball over with getting a shot at the basket
Inside the Numbers
- Moravian had a pair of players in double figures led by Lustig, who netted a game-high 24 points to go with five assists and four boards
- Elias tossed in 10 points to go along with two assists while Vassallo finished with eight points
- Steffen grabbed nine rebounds to go with six points and four steals while sophomore guards Mallory Elias and Kylie Cabana both netted four points with Elias added three assists, two rebounds and two steals and Cabana dishing our two assists
- Junior forward Lanie Herbert registered four points and four boards while sophomore guard Ellie Wallbillich scored three points to go with three steals, two assists and two rebounds
- Cartagena had two points and two assists while Hayes finished with two points
- The Hounds shot 28-for-62 from the field (45.2 percent), 6-for-14 on three-pointers and 5-for-6 at the foul line
- The Blue & Grey forced Elizabethtown, ranked 14th in the nation this week in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll, into 19 turnovers while committing just 15 miscues
Up Next for the Greyhounds
- Saturday, November 22 vs. Wilkes University, 4:00 p.m.
- Monday, November 24 vs. DeSales University, 8:00 p.m.
