An explosive performance from junior guard Nadine Yunginger (Garden Spot) propelled the Elizabethtown to a 76-69 victory over Alvernia on Saturday. Yunginger provided a career-high 31 points and shot 5-of-6 from downtown.

With the win, the Jays (15-7, 8-4 CC) clinched a Commonwealth Conference playoff spot.

The first quarter of the opening half was a slow grind, but the Jays held a 14-11 edge with 9:29 remaining in the half. Alvernia (11-12, 4-8 CC), its playoff chances in critical condition, surged to life and recorded a 19-4 run in the next seven minutes. Senior forward Angela Altemose led the charge for the Crusaders with seven points and three rebounds during that span. Overall, she finished the half with 13 points and six rebounds.

E-town mustered a 6-0 run of its own to regain momentum and slice the Crusaders' lead to 30-24 as the first-half horn sounded. Sophomore guard Taylor Kreider (Solanco) paced the squad during that stretch with four points. Kreider recorded 11 points and seven rebounds in the half. Overall, she recorded 13 points and 11 rebounds in the game on the way to her eighth double-double of the season.

It was blue and gray all the way in the second half, as the Jays outscored the Crusaders 52-39. The team shot 48 percent in the half and dominated the Crusaders with a 34-8 run in the first 10 minutes.

Yunginger fueled the E-town outburst by scorching the nets with 27 of her 31 total points. Entering the game, her season high was 15 points, and she averaged 8.4 points per game. In addition, she went 14-of-14 from the charity stripe during the half. She's the first Blue Jay to hit more than 12 free throws in a game since Erin Walton went 16-of-16 against Susquehanna in 2006. Yunginger also became the first Blue Jay to top the 30-point mark in a game since Walton's 32 against Moravian during that same season.

In the first four minutes, Yunginger unleashed an aerial assault from beyond the arc, draining all three of her attempts for nine quick points. Her performance sustained a 13-5 Blue Jay run. The squad never trailed again.

Midway through the half, the Jays expanded their lead to a game high 16 points. While the Jays managed to keep Alvernia out of striking distance for most of the half, the Crusaders fought back. Altemose contribute 13 points and four rebounds in the half and finish with 28 points and 11 rebounds overall. Freshman guard Kaitlyn Yoh chipped in 10 points, which enabled Alvernia to whittle the score to 68-62 with 1:13 remaining in regulation. However, The Jays remained poised, and sophomore guard Kendra Beittel (Hempfield) iced the game with a pair of late free throws.

While E-town secured a trip to the playoffs, they are currently the No. 4 seed behind Widener (15-7, 8-3). If the playoffs began today, the Jays would face Lebanon Valley College (21-2, 12-0). The Dutchmen dealt E-town its fourth conference loss Wednesday, 65-51.

With two games to play in the regular season, E-town can finish as high as third in the conference. Finishing third would ensure a first-round playoff matchup with archrival Messiah (18-4, 9-2).

E-town will next tangle with Lycoming at Thompson Gymnasium on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Following the game, Elizabethtown will honor 42nd-year head coach Yvonne Kauffman with a special ceremony. It will be Kauffman's final regular-season home game, as she plans to retire at season's end.