The game was the final one for both teams until January. Elizabethtown takes a 4-5 record into the semester break after winning its second straight game. Rutgers-Camden stands at 4-6 with its fifth consecutive loss.
In a wild and fast-paced first half which featured three ties and four lead changes, Rutgers-Camden took an early 10-4 lead before Elizabethtown roared back with a 13-point run to grab a 17-10 advantage. The run featured six points by Piersol.
Rutgers-Camden answered with a run of its own, running out the first half on a 30-15 note to give the Scarlet Raptors a 40-32 halftime lead. Senior forward Sydney Francis (Camden, NJ/Woodrow Wilson) and sophomore guard Wayne Smalls (Camden, NJ/Medical Arts) both scored 11 first-half points for the Raptors, while Piersol had nine in the opening half for the Blue Jays.
Elizabethtown didn’t waste any time making up ground in the second half. The Blue Jays scored the first eight points of the second half, tying the game at 40-40 on a layup by senior forward Luke Ledyard (Frederick, MD/Gov. Thomas Johnson) only 2:24 into the half.
After the Scarlet Raptors took a 49-47 lead, the Blue Jays rattled off 13 consecutive points to open up a 60-49 advantage. That run was sparked by a pair of three-pointers from senior guard Kris Kieres (Barnesville, PA/Mahanoy Area).
The Blue Jays built their lead to 65-53 before Rutgers-Camden answered with a 13-1 run. The Scarlet Raptors tied the game at 66-66 on a layup by Smalls with 4:26 remaining, but Elizabethtown took the lead for good moments later on a layup by junior forward Nick Kennedy (Wyomissing, PA/Wyomissing Area). They increased their margin to 75-67 before Smalls hit a three-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin.
In addition to Piersol, Kieres finished with 12 points and senior guard Greg Brizek (Sinking Spring, PA/Conrad Weiser) added 10. The Blue Jays shot 52.9 percent from the floor (27-for-51), including 7-for-14 (50.0) from three-point range. Piersol led the long-range shooting, going 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. He was 6-for-11 overall and 4-for-5 from the foul line, in addition to tying for game-high rebounding honors with five.
Junior guard Michael Schatzmann (Paradise, PA/Pequea Valley) had team-high totals of four assists and four steals for the Blue Jays.
Rutgers-Camden received 18 points apiece from Francis and Smalls, while freshman guard Josh Askew (Sicklerville, NJ/Winslow Township) added 16 points and a game-high six steals. Smalls added five assists and senior guard Dane Nicholson (Pleasantville, NJ/Holy Spirit) tied Piersol with a game-high five rebounds.
Rutgers-Camden shot 52.2 percent from the floor (24-for-46), but Elizabethtown held a 31-22 advantage off the boards.
Both teams return to action Jan. 3. Elizabethtown entertains Gettysburg College at 7 p.m., while Rutgers-Camden plays an 8 p.m. game at Juniata College.