COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College women's basketball team scored on 13 of 15 possessions during a 27-7 surge bridging the end of the third quarter to overturn a nine-point deficit, and the Bears fended off a late rally by visiting Lancaster Bible to post a 68-63 triumph this afternoon, their first non-conference victory of the season. Senior forward Caroline Shimrock (Lansdale, Pa./Gwynedd-Mercy Academy) registered season highs of 21 points and nine rebounds, spurring Ursinus past last year's National Christian College Athletic Association runner-up.
Shimrock made 10 of her 14 attempts from the floor, also contributing three steals, two blocks, and a pair of assists to the cause for Ursinus (5-4), which looked to be in dire straits when Lancaster Bible (3-2) uncorked a 13-2 spurt to go up 45-36 with 3:32 to play in the third period. But Shimrock steadied the Bears, starting a run of seven consecutive possessions with a basket to end the quarter. She knocked down a midrange jumper, then scored inside when sophomore guard Rachel Guy (Chadds Ford, Pa./Cardinal O'Hara) grabbed her own miss and dished off to Shimrock for an easy lay-in.
Guy answered a Charger free throw with a bucket inside before a four-point possession got Ursinus to level ground. Freshman guard Brielle Clarke (Egg Harbor City, N.J./Absegami) hit a runner plus a foul, but was unable to convert the three-point play. Shimrock was there to haul in the missed free throw, however, and senior guard Alyssa Polimeni (Berkeley Heights, N.J./Governor Livingston Regional) scored on a drive to make it 46-all. After a Lancaster Bible turnover, Clarke buried a free-throw line jumper, and Polimeni hit a cutting Jessica Porada (Morristown, N.J./Morris Catholic) for a transition lay-up as the buzzer sounded, the senior forward's bucket handing the Bears a 50-46 lead.
The Chargers cut the deficit in half with a basket of their own, but Shimrock took over from there, drilling a right-wing triple before cutting in front of a pass and taking it the other way for a lay-up and a 55-48 lead. Senior guard Katy Stover retorted with a trey for the Chargers, but Porada powered her way to consecutive buckets, Guy found Polimeni off a curl for a lefty lay-in, and Shimrock capped the huge burst by gaining deep position in the post and muscling up a shot to make it 63-52 with 4:30 remaining.
Lancaster Bible made a late push, getting to within 65-61 in the final minute, but Stover missed a breakaway lay-up that could have made it a two-point game, and Ursinus managed to hold on from there.
Senior forwards Aubrey Folger (25 points, 11 rebounds) and Shanice Smith (14 points, 15 rebounds) put up double-doubles for Lancaster Bible, and Stover added 16 points.
Polimeni finished 8-of-13 from the field for 17 points in addition to seven assists and three steals while playing all 40 minutes for the third time this season. Porada collected 14 points and six rebounds, and Clarke's seven points marked a career high; Guy matched her and handed out three assists.
Ursinus was out-rebounded 45-34, but forced 18 turnovers – converting them into 20 points – and committed only seven of its own. The Bears shot 56.3 percent in the second half (18 of 32) to finish at 44.3 percent for the game (31 of 70). Behind Shimrock, Ursinus held a 28-3 advantage in bench points; she came up just short of her career bests of 22 points and 10 boards.
The Bears now go into hibernation for winter break. They return to the court on Monday, January 4, with a non-conference contest at DeSales.