HAVERFORD, Pa. – Locked in a grind-it-out defensive struggle at Haverford, the Ursinus College women's basketball team used a brilliant offensive play to head into the Thanksgiving break on a major high - no tryptophan required. 

Sophomore Kaci McNeave rattled home a runner from the left elbow as time expired to lift the Bears (2-2, 1-0) to a walk-off win in their Centennial Conference opener on Tuesday night. It was just the second field goal of the game for McNeave, whose buzzer-beating heroics helped Ursinus end up on the top side of a seesaw tilt that featured five ties and 11 lead changes. The Bears left Gooding Arena victorious for the first time in four trips and won their second consecutive conference lid-lifter, this one against a Haverford program that has made the conference playoffs five years running.

After Haverford (1-3, 0-1) missed two free throws with 20 seconds to go, the Bears were disjointed on the ensuing possession. Ursinus lost the ball with 2.8 seconds left but had it go out of bounds off the Fords, leaving time for one final play. The inbounds pass went to freshman Lydia Konstanzer, who passed off to the left for McNeave. The sophomore point guard took one dribble with her right hand and quickly switched to her left for a hurried floater that bounced off the front rim and off the backboard before dropping in as the horn sounded, sending the Ursinus bench spilling out onto the court in celebration.

Despite shooting just 26.7 percent from the floor in a game in which the stingy squads combined to shoot 25.0 percent (28 of 96) and 4 of 25 (16.0 percent) from 3-point range, the Bears made their own luck with dominant defense and another impressive performance from Toni Suler. One game removed from a 12-rebound, 5-block effort in a win over Colorado College, the freshman forward put up her first career double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds in addition to a season-best six blocks and two steals.

Suler had eight points and nine boards in the first half alone, after which the Fords were clinging to a 15-13 lead. Back and forth the teams went, neither leading by more than three the rest of the way. Haverford took a 29-26 lead on the first possession of the fourth quarter, but a reverse layup on the left baseline by Konstanzer evened the spread at 29 with 5:49 to go.

Anna-Sophia Capizzi gave Haverford the lead right back with a 3-pointer before a jumper by Suler and a curling layup by junior Rachel Guy, which followed an offensive rebound by senior Libby Lannon, put Ursinus back on top.

Sierra Berkel handed the Fords their final lead with a put-back with 42.5 seconds remaining, and the home side looked to be in strong position when McNeave's triple rimmed out and Samantha Wetzel grabbed the rebound. But two missed free throws opened the door for the Bears, and McNeave made sure they walked right through it with a thrilling finish.

Though they went 1-for-10 from 3-point range and committed 14 turnovers, the Bears only had two miscues in the second half, a critical development in a nip-and-tuck affair with six points as its largest margin.

Berkel finished with 14 points and nine rebounds for Haverford, but the rest of her team went a measly 5-for-42 from the field. Wetzel, who came in averaging a double-double, pulled down ten caroms but was held scoreless for the first time in her career. Ursinus forced 14 turnovers and limited the Fords to a 12-of-51 effort (23.5 percent) from the floor.

Konstanzer collected seven points, six rebounds, and four assists – including the game-winning helper – for the Bears, while Guy made 5 of 6 from the line and scored seven of her own.

The women's basketball team welcomes Franklin & Marshall to Helfferich Hall for its home opener on Tuesday, November 29.