Women's Basketball Bows to Hot-Shooting Bullets

Women's Basketball Bows to Hot-Shooting Bullets

COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College women's basketball team took a three-point lead over 23rd-ranked Gettysburg into the final quarter, but the Bullets' clinical offense propelled the visitors past the Bears, 82-70, in a high-quality Centennial Conference clash at Helfferich Hall.

Ursinus (13-8, 10-6) received outstanding efforts from junior Lydia Konstanzer and sophomore Maya Kornfeld. The duo combined for 49 of the Bears' 70 points, with Konstanzer's 28 points marking a game-high. Konstanzer made a variety of shots, including some jumpers and even her first 3-pointer of the season. She fell just a rebound short of a double-double as she grabbed nine caroms. Kornfeld slashed through the Bullets' defense, pouring in 21 points on the night.

The Bears gave the CC-leading Bullets (18-3, 15-1) all they could handle and some. Gettysburg committed 19 turnovers in the game, leaving the door open for the Bears until a torrid closing stretch put the orange and blue over the top.

The score was tied 59-59 with under nine minutes to play, but Gettysburg mounted a mini-run to pull away from the Bears, eventually doubling up the hosts by a count of 30-15 in the fourth quarter. Gettysburg's offense gained steam in the last two quarters after a relatively cold first half for the top shooting team and offense in the league. The Bullets generated great looks leading to 48 points in the paint. Gettysburg shot an incredible 15-of-23 (65.2%) from the field and 4-of-5 (80%) from downtown in the second half.

Gettysburg's leading scorer, Emma Dorshimer, buried a crucial 3-pointer from the left wing to give the Bullets a five-point edge (66-61) with less than seven minutes to go. Dorshimer finished with 22 points, six rebounds and four assists.

At halftime, the Bears were down 32-30. The Bullets jetted out to a 7-0 start in the first minutes of the third quarter to go up nine points. But Ursinus got back in it quickly, as back-to-back 3-point plays from sophomore Aliyah Stephens shaved the lead to 41-36. Freshman Gabby Downs traded triples with Gettysburg's Ashley Gehrin, who scored a team-high 24 points.

Then came a flurry from the Bears, courtesy of nine Konstanzer points in the third quarter as she pulled the home side ahead with an impressive stanza. Kornfeld found Konstanzer for an easy deuce, and Konstanzer then drained a trey from the top of the key to get the Bears within one at 48-47. The senior forward made a jumper to go up 50-49.

Konstanzer finished a highlight reel split right between two Gettysburg defenders on the block to go up 53-52 with 41 seconds to go in the third quarter. Another Konstanzer jumper in the paint got a high friendly roll off the rim and dropped at the buzzer to give Ursinus a 55-52 lead heading into the last quarter. The Bears finished the third quarter on a 25-13 run and hit 8-of-15 (53.3%) shots from the field in the frame.

Early on, the Bears jumped out to a 4-0 start after baskets from junior Toni Suler and Konstanzer. Kornfeld kept the Bullets on their heels as she poured in eight points in the frame. Kornfeld sliced her way through the Gettysburg defense in the paint off a fast break, and a little while later the sophomore finished a delicate scoop shot off the glass to take a 14-13 edge. The point guard added two free throws at the line with 23 seconds left to give the Bears a 16-15 lead after one.

Stephens found Kornfeld lurking behind the defense in the paint for an easy two to put the Bears up 18-15. A Gettysburg 3-point play tied it 18-18 before Toni Suler made a massive rejection on a Gettysburg shot early in the second. She swatted four shots before leaving the game with an apparent injury at the seven-minute mark of the second. Her absence left a void for the Bears in the painted area for the rest of the game.

Downs made a triple from the left wing trey and Konstanzer put back a miss to lead 28-22. Gettysburg scored the next six points before Konstanzer gathered and hit a free-throw line jumper. Seanna McNamara's side-angle running shot at the first-half buzzer pulled the Bullets ahead 32-30.

The Bears shot 24-of-62 (38.7%) from the field, 4-of-14 (28.6%) from 3-point territory, and 18-of-25 (72%) from the free throw line. Ursinus committed 14 turnovers.

Gettysburg finished at 52.6 percent (30-of-57) overall, 5-of-10 (50%) from beyond the arc, and 17-of-21 (81%) from the charity stripe. The Bullets outrebounded the Bears, 39-29. 

Meredith Brown posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bullets.

Ursinus hosts Washington College Thursday at 7:30 p.m.