WILKES-BARRE, PA (December 14, 2021) -- Junior Emily Morano poured in a career-high 37 points, which also ranks as the second-highest single game total in program history, as the King's College women's basketball team defeated the visiting Elizabethtown College Blue Jays, 88-85, in overtime. With the win, the Monarchs improve to 5-3 overall, while the Blue Jays drop just their second contest of the year and fall to 6-2.

Both teams flew out of the gates as the fast-paced first quarter saw King's (5-3, 1-0 MAC Freedom) leading, 29-20, after 10 minutes of play. King's shot a solid 55 percent from the floor and 70 percent (7-10) from beyond the arc for the quarter.

The speed of the game slowed in the second after a 5-2 start that saw the Monarchs ahead, 31-25. A scoring drought over the next 3:37 of play was broken by Elizabethtown (6-2, 1-0 Landmark) on a three from Veronica Christ. The Blue Jays took the lead, 32-31, with 3:58 left in the half, but a 12-0 Monarchs run to end the quarter put the hosts ahead, 43-32, at the break.

Elizabethtown battled throughout the start of the second half to pull within one, 50-49, with 4:21 left in the third, but the Monarchs had an answer with a 13-2 run to lead 63-51 with 1:38 to go in the quarter. A Blue Jays basket with 52 seconds left posted the 63-53 score at the end of the third.

King's struggled offensively for the first time in the game in the final period of regulation, finally putting points on the board in the fourth on a made free throw from Morano with 4:51 left in regulation and still leading, 64-60. The two teams traded baskets and free throws down the stretch, but the Blue Jays had the final say as a pair of free throws from Christ tied the game at 73 as a final Monarchs effort at the buzzer fell short, forcing the extra period.

The visitors struck first with a 4-0 run to start overtime before a three from Morano and a pair of free throws from sophomore Kiersten Krouse gave King's a 78-77 advantage with 3:37 to go. Another scoring drought put King's down, 83-78, with 59 second left but a layup from senior Samantha Rajza off a feed from first year Alli Lindsay inched King's within three with 38 ticks left.

A layup from Elizabethtown was answered with a quick pull-up three from Morano, and King's was forced to foul. The Blue Jays failed to hit both as Morano found Lindsay in transition for a huge three in front of their own bench to put the Monarchs ahead, 86-85 with 13 seconds remaining. Out of the Elizabethtown timeout, a huge defensive stop by the Monarchs saw the missed layup knocked out of bounds in favor of King's. The Blue Jays had to foul and put Krouse on the line with 0.7 seconds left, and the sophomore hit both to seal the win, 88-85, in overtime.

Morano's career-high 37 points came on a 14-for-26 shooting night, including 6-of-10 from three, with a career-high 11 boards, four assists, a steal, and a block. Rajza added another solid night with 19 points as the only other Monarch in double figures while adding two blocks. Senior Emily Kriston dished out a team-high five assists, swiped a team-best five steals, and added five rebounds and seven points. Junior Sarah Heiskell-Mann also played well with seven rebounds.

Christ led the Blue Jays with 28 points, nine boards, and a game-high nine assists, while DaniRae Renno totaled a double-double with 27 points and 11 boards. Summer McNulty rounded out the Elizabethtown offense with 20 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

King's shot 37.2 percent (32-86) from the floor and 40 percent (14-35) from beyond the arc. Their 14 made threes ranks second all time for three-point field goals made in a single game, while the 35 attempted threes ranks seventh. King's also recorded 20 assists on their 32 buckets and tallied 43 team rebounds. The Monarchs defense forced 25 Blue Jays turnovers, snagging 12 steals, and held Elizabethtown to 26.3 percent shooting from three.

Inside the box score, the Monarchs won the battle in points off turnovers (19-6), bench points (13-6), and fast break points (13-10).

King's has a quick turnaround as they travel to Doylestown, PA on Thursday to take on the Aggies of Delaware Valley University at 6:00 p.m. in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play.