ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. – Freshman guard Cameron Hayes scored 20 points for Stevenson in his collegiate debut, but a late Elizabethtown run gave the host Blue Jays an 80-69 win in non-conference men's basketball Tuesday evening at Thompson Gymnasium.  The game marked the season opener for both teams.

Hayes finished 7-15 from the floor and 3-4 from behind the arc, and also added five rebounds.  Junior Cliff Cornish went 5-6 from the floor and recorded 15 points and eight rebounds, while classmate Christian Collins added nine points on 4-7 shooting.

Peter Harding knocked down six of his 11 three-point attempts and led Elizabethtown with 27 points, while Matt Lapkowicz added 18 points and seven rebounds for the Blue Jays.

Stevenson trailed 56-48 at the 12:11 mark when it held the Blue Jays scoreless for nearly six minutes, reeling off 16 straight points to take a 62-56 lead on a three-pointer by Hayes with 6:44 to go.  A tip-in by Hayes at the 7:48 mark gave the Mustangs their first lead since the 15-minute mark of the first half.  Elizabethtown countered with an 18-2 run capped by a pair of Jake Sweger free throws with 2:41 left to put the hosts up 10, 74-64.  Stevenson cut the lead to eight twice, but got no closer.

A three-pointer by freshman Ben Wiebusch gave Stevenson an early 11-8 lead before 13 straight points by Elizabethtown gave it a 21-11 lead at the 11:48 mark of the first half following a Peter Harding three-pointer.  The Mustangs outscored the Blue Jays 10-1 over the next three-plus minutes and a Hayes three with 8:09 left before intermission cut the lead to one, 22-21.  A 14-2 run by the hosts gave them a 36-23 lead with just over four minutes remaining, and Etown took a 40-29 lead into the locker room.

The Mustangs chipped away at the lead, outscoring the Blue Jays 12-6 in the first five minutes of the second half to pull within five, 46-41, on a layup by senior Ryan Hill.  From there, the lead fluctuated between five and eight points before Stevenson made its run to reclaim the lead.

Elizabethtown knocked down 10 of its 21 three-point attempts (47.6%) on the evening and shot 46.4% overall, while the Mustangs shot 42.6% overall, but connected on just six of their 24 three-point attempts.  Neither team shot the ball well from the free throw line, with Stevenson going 11-19 and Elizabethtown went 18-31.  The Mustangs did generate a 21-10 advantage in points off turnovers, and outrebounded the Blue Jays 39-38.

Stevenson returns to action Friday night when it hosts Lynchburg College in the first round of the Hoopsville Invitational at Owings Mills Gymnasium.  Game time is set for 6:00 pm.