ARLINGTON, Va. – Junior Rachel Guy poured in a career-high 19 points, including four critical free throws in the final minute, to lead the Ursinus College women's basketball team to a 54-51 victory over Colorado College in the consolation of the Pablo Coto Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday, the Bears' first win of the young season.
Guy scored just two points total in the first two games of the season, but rebounded in a big way to help Ursinus (1-2) leave Marymount (Va.) with a 1-1 record for the weekend. The captain went 6-of-12 from the field and 6-for-8 at the line, also adding six rebounds and three steals as the Bears held on down the stretch.
Guy received multi-faceted support from a number of sources, including fellow captain Libby Lannon (nine points, four rebounds) and sophomore Brielle Clarke (eight points, five rebounds). Freshman Toni Suler was a force on the interior despite going scoreless, as the rookie grabbed 12 rebounds and notched five blocks, including one on a potential tying shot in the final seconds, while classmate Krista Schneider made all but one of her seven free-throw attempts and finished with eight points.
Ursinus got 3-pointers from Guy and Clarke on its first two possessions, taking a lead it would never relinquish. Lannon scored the next six for the Bears, who led by as much as nine in the opening frame.
The lead stayed in single digits until Guy posted back-to-back baskets midway through the third quarter, the second giving Ursinus a 38-26 lead. A three-point play by Schneider and a free throw from sophomore Kaci McNeave stretched the margin to 14 late in the quarter, but the Tigers (0-3) made things very interesting in the closing minutes.
Colorado College got as close as two on two free throws by Casey Torbet with 2:06 remaining, but Lannon came through with a big layup in the clutch to restore a two-possession advantage. The Tigers answered with a basket of their own and had a chance to take the lead after a Bear turnover, but Torbet's triple went begging. Colorado College had another chance after an offensive rebound, but Suler blocked a shot and grabbed the rebound, a huge defensive play that led to two free throws by Guy with 18 seconds left. Guy added two more freebies with 6 ticks remaining, rendering a last-second 3-pointer moot.
Torbet had 13 points for the Tigers, who held the Bears to 27.6-percent shooting (16 of 58) but were undone by 19 turnovers. Guy, Suler, and freshman Lydia Konstanzer all had three steals for Ursinus, with Lannon adding two of her own.
The Bears owned a huge advantage at the foul line, making 19 of 30 compared to Colorado College's 5-of-8 effort.
Its first victory in hand, the women's basketball team opens Centennial Conference play at Haverford on Tuesday, November 22.