Defense was on display for both Franklin & Marshall and Elizabethtown in Franklin & Marshall's Rotary Classic Tip-Off women's tournament.

Both teams combined dominating D and clutch shoooting to cruise to opening-round wins.

The Diplomats, playing their first game and with only two starters back, overcame a sloppy start to top the Goucher College Gophers, 69-40.

The Elizabethtown Blue Jays, also with three new starters, shot lights-out most of the game while forcing Brooklyn College into a poor shooting effort to win 83-62.

Elizabethtown and F&M play at 3 p.m. today for the championship.

Junior guard Beth Holt (Lancaster Catholic) anchored the F&M defense and scored 20 points, including all six of her free throws, to lead the Diplomats. She was joined in double digits by sophomore Megan Pauley, who chipped in 14 with seven rebounds, and freshman Alexa Barbush, who finished with 10 points and five steals.

"This was our first game, so we just had to get out and play. It was sloppy in the beginning, which is to be expected," said Ashlee Courter, F&M's head coach. "But as long as we focus on the defensive end and gain the rebound and get into our offense, we will be in a great spot."

F&M started slow against the Gophers (1-2). The Diplomats led 15-9 after 10 minutes, but took a 37-19 lead at the half.

"We've known ... that we have a great group who are working their butts off. We are out-hustling the opponent until the end of the game and if we keep doing these things, the team will do great," Courter said.

"It was a really good start for us," Holt said. "We have a lot of things we need to work on technically, but I was so proud of everybody's effort. We got out there and did everything we could today. "We proved our defense will set the tone for our entire season."

The defending tournament-champion Blue Jays took a few minutes to get their offense and defense on track in their first-round victory. The teams exchanged the lead four times, before the Blue Jays used a 12-0 run to take a 20-9 lead. The Bridges never got within 10 the rest of the way.

Junior point guard Megan Strohman (Lebanon) was red-hot for the Blue Jays (1-2), dropping nine of 14 shots for 21 points in only 24 minutes.

"Megan is a catalyst for us," said Elizabethtown head coach Yvonne Kauffman. "I was a little concerned about her when she had two early turnovers, but then she got her act together and everything clicked,"

Kaity Snyder finished with a double-double, pulling down 12 rebounds and 18 points, while Courtney Kofeldt added 13 points and seven boards.

"I am very pleased with our performance," Kauffman said. "I was able to rotate players and we hit our shots and found the open person."