Brittany Snyder (Raphine, Va./Riverheads) scored a team-high 18 points as the Eastern Mennonite University women's basketball team was named the John Crawley Tournament Champions following a 69-63 win over Elmira (N.Y.) College on Saturday, November 22.

EMU improves to 3-0 to start the 2008-09 season.

"Brittany was dynamite tonight and the whole team played better compared to yesterday," commented head coach Kevin Griffin. "They battled throughout the game and we also got big production from Ebony Dennis (Baltimore, Md./Western), and Kathleen Kitchen (Gainesville, Va./Brentsville District).

Snyder led the team with 18 points and was 7-of-7 from the charity stripe. Dennis chipped in 15 points and tied Kitchen with 11 rebounds.

Mary Symonds paced Elmira with 15 points.

Snyder put the Lady Royals on top 2-0 with a jumper from just outside the paint as EMU eventually built up an eight-point lead with 17:31 on the clock. Elmira battled back and cut the deficit to four on a three-pointer by Alysha Giarra. EC continued to cut into the EMU lead as Symonds put the Eagles down by only two points (15:09).

The momentum swung back to the Lady Royals on a layup by Miranda Wolfe (Verona, Va./Fort Defiance) but the Eagles again responded and pulled ahead on baskets by Marcia Coakley and Erin Ruppell. Elmira held onto the lead for the next four minutes until a three-point swing by Snyder at the free-throw line put EMU back on top. The Lady Royals closed out the half on a deuce by Dennis to take a five-point lead into the break (33-28).

The Lady Royals continued to build upon their momentum in the second frame as EMU built an 11-point lead on another Dennis bucket at the 16 minute mark. Elmira, following their cue from the first half, fought back and tied the contest at 56 all with just under five minutes remaining. Danielle Scott (Summit, NJ/Summit) sank both of her free throw attempts to put EMU back on top where the Lady Royals remained for the rest of the game.

Scott finished with 14 points and registered eight rebounds. Kitchen had nine points.

Coakley had 11 points and five assists for Elmira.

Following the final game of the tournament, EMU's Brittany Snyder was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The Lady Royals will stay on the road as they travel south on Interstate-81 to take on Lynchburg College on Tuesday, November 25, at 7 p.m.