COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – A big run by Gettysburg to start the second half was too much for the Ursinus College women's basketball team to overcome Saturday, as the Bullets rolled up the first 12 points of the third quarter and staved off a late comeback effort to post a 65-51 Centennial Conference victory.
Emily Gibbons rang up her 10th double-double of the season with 22 points and 17 rebounds to lead Gettysburg (10-4, 6-3), and Emma Dorshimer backed her with 19 points and eight rebounds. Gibbons, the CC leader in scoring and rebounding, had a huge put-back with 3:23 to play to put the brakes on a spurt that had gotten the Bears to within three and kicked off an 8-0 game-clinching run.
Freshman Lydia Konstanzer had 14 points and 10 rebounds for her fifth double-double, and junior Rachel Guy scored 12 points for the second straight game, going 6 for 8 at the free-throw line. Senior Libby Lannon racked up nine points, seven assists, five rebounds, and three steals and freshman Marisa DiLeo gave the Bears (7-8, 5-5) a big spark off the bench with a pair of 3-pointers and eight points.
Ursinus came out red-hot, building a 12-point lead inside the first seven minutes thanks to a 6-for-8 shooting start that featured treys by sophomore Kaci McNeave and Lannon. Konstanzer netted eight points during the opening 18-6 run.
Lannon's lay-up on a perfectly executed give-and-go with Konstanzer had the Bears ahead 25-18 at the 6:53 mark of the second quarter, but everything went awry from there. Ursinus managed only two points over the next 10:30 of game time, during which the Bullets embarked on a 21-2 stretch that saw the Orange and Blue go up by 12 midway through the third.
Gibbons and Dorshimer headed the Gettysburg resistance, accounting for all of a 14-0 run bridging intermission. Dorshimer drained a left-wing triple on the first possession of the third quarter to put the Bullets ahead for good. Gibbons followed with a basket and, after Dorshimer drove the lane for a bucket, the junior star connected on a straightaway 3-pointer to stretch the lead to double digits. Gibbons added two free throws to cap the big run and make it 39-27 with 6:30 to play in the third.
DiLeo came alive for the Bears, heaving in a desperation 3 to stop the bleeding and getting a difficult scoop shot to fall a couple minutes later. The home side got as close as five on a bucket by Konstanzer, but Gettysburg put in the first six points of the fourth frame to open up a 51-38 lead.
Ursinus had one last response in it. Lannon scored on a spin move and drove the baseline for a second straight field goal, and 3-pointers by McNeave and Guy forced a Gettysburg timeout and trimmed the gap to 51-48 at the 3:357 mark. The Bears played a great defensive possession, but Gibbons was able to snare an air-ball and put it back at the shot-clock buzzer, restoring a two-possession edge. Dorshimer's three-point play on the ensuing trip effectively ended Ursinus' hopes.
Kendra Meredith finished with 11 points and four assists for Gettysburg, which owned a 39-26 rebounding advantage and outscored the Bears, 30-22, in the paint.
Freshman Toni Suler added five more blocks to her CC-leading total in addition to a pair of steals, while Konstanzer and Lannon each had three swipes to help the Bears force 15 turnovers. Gettysburg shot 44.7 percent for the afternoon (21 for 47) and went 20 for 24 (83.3 percent) at the line, including a perfect 7-for-7 from Dorshimer.
Ursinus returns to action on Wednesday, January 18, at home against Bryn Mawr.