GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Led by 26 points from preseason All-American Emma Dorshimer, No. 20 Gettysburg pulled away from the Ursinus College women's basketball team en route to a 72-60 result over the Bears at the Battlefield.
Dorshimer, one of the nation's leading scorers, came into the contest averaging 25.5 points per game, so the Bears knew it would be a challenge. The Bears did, however, keep Dorshimer contained in the first quarter.
Ursinus held Dorshimer without a field goal in the first period, but she managed to chip in seven points from the line. She found some rhythm then went on to shoot 8-of-19 from the floor and 9-of-10 from the line on the night to get the defending Centennial Conference champions past a pesky Bears squad.
Ursinus (2-3, 0-2) was hampered by turnovers as the Bears committed 21 miscues to just three assists. Fourteen of their turnovers came in the first half. However, the Bears forced 15 turnovers on the defensive end and shot the same 39.7% from the floor as the Bullets.
The Bears went 23-of-58 from the floor but struggled from 3-point range and the free throw line, going 2-of-11 (18.2%) and 12-of-23 (52.2%), respectively.
The Bullets shot 25-of-63 overall, 4-of-15 (26.7%) from three and hit on 18-of-24 free throws (75%).
Gettysburg (4-1, 2-0) worked the ball into the lane for high-percentage shots throughout the game, outscoring the Bears 38-24 in the paint.
The Bears received three double-digit scoring efforts from junior Lydia Konstanzer (15 points), freshman Gabby Downs (12 points), and sophomore Maya Kornfeld (10 points). Sophomore Aliyah Stephens just missed double digits as she added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Konstanzer, the Bears' leading scorer in the early season, was plagued by first half foul trouble but had 12 points in the second half. The forward also grabbed seven caroms.
Gettysburg's Ashley Gehrin was the only Bullet to join Dorshimer in double figures with ten points. Gehrin and reserve Tori Yantsos also collected game-highs with three steals apiece. Meredith Brown secured a game-high nine rebounds.
Two and half minutes into the contest, the Bears had a 7-5 edge after a pair of free throws from Stephens then the Bullets went on a 17-5 run to close the first quarter.
Within the Gettysburg run, Downs hit a triple to make it 18-12 in a bumpy first quarter for the Bears. Ursinus trailed 22-12 after the first ten minutes after committing eight turnovers and shooting under 30% from the floor. The Bullets worked the ball down low for five buckets in the paint and got to the free-throw line at a higher rate than the Bears early, going 12-of-14 from the charity stripe.
Ursinus put together a better second quarter and cut into the Bullets' lead, but a turnover in the late stages proved to be costly. Christina Richson stole an inbounds pass and buried a 3-pointer from the corner at the buzzer to give the Bullets a 36-25 lead at halftime.
About halfway through the second quarter, Stephens drove into the lane for a lay-up to cut the Gettysburg lead to six points. Dorshimer made a lay-up from the post, then was followed with another long ball from Downs (31-24).
Coming out of halftime, Konstanzer hit a turnaround jumper and in a different sequence followed her own missed layup for a bucket to make it 36-29.
As the Bears cut into the lead, the Bullets would answer. Stephens put in back-to-back baskets, sneaking down the court after a Bullets miss for an easy hoop (40-33). Later, Gettysburg's Kiera Cesareo made a 3-pointer to extend the margin to 50-39 after the Bears were within eight points.
In the last minute of the third quarter, a two and a 3-pointer from Dorshimer pushed it to 55-39 before Konstanzer added a jumper in the closing seconds.
At the three-minute mark of the fourth, the Bullets had their largest lead of 69-51. Ursinus' reserves battled in the final minutes. Ursinus sophomore Elizabeth Burke, daughter of Gettysburg head football coach Kevin Burke, made a pair of free throws to close the game, 72-60.
Gettysburg outgained Ursinus, 45-39, on the glass.
The Bears head to the Main Line to take on Swarthmore on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tip-off.