COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College women's basketball team battled to the end but came up just short as visiting Muhlenberg got the better of the stretch run to come away with a tight 68-61 Centennial Conference victory on Wednesday night.
Lydia Konstanzer had 20 points and 16 rebounds, moving into the fifth on the program's all-time rebounding list, while Aliyah Stephens (15) and Marisa Morano (13) also reached double figures for the Bears, who held a four-point lead late in the third quarter before the Mules gradually began to separate in a rematch of last year's CC first-round clash won by Ursinus.
Trailing 31-26 at halftime, it was all about the second efforts as Ursinus (6-8, 5-4) started to assert itself on the offensive glass. Stephens sliced the margin to 31-29 with a driving lay-up plus a foul, and Konstanzer grabbed the rebound off the missed free throw to set up a go-ahead 3-pointer by Gabby Downs from the top.
With the two sides trading baskets, Konstanzer picked a Mule's pocket in the back court and converted the ensuing lay-up. After Muhlenberg regained a one-point lead, Downs and Stephens corralled offensive rebounds until Maddy Sorokanych connected on a foul-line jumper. Konstanzer swiped another steal under the Mules' basket and was fouled, making both at the line to push the Bears out to a 41-37 lead with 2:53 left in the period.
The trail went cold from there, however, as Muhlenberg (6-7, 4-5) uncorked a 10-0 run bridging the end of the quarter, going up 47-41 on a jumper by Sara Peretti before Morano snapped a nearly six-minute scoring drought by swishing a corner 3 off a beautiful baseline drive and kick by Francesca Bogiatzis.
Tara Szawaluk came right back with a triple of her own, and Ursinus never got closer than three as the Mules made enough of their free throws in the closing minutes to put the game away.
Margaux Eripret led the way for Muhlenberg, matching Konstanzer with a game-high 20 points. Mikaela McGarvey chipped in 17 off the bench, including a trio of 3-pointers in a first half that featured four ties and eight lead changes. Neither team led by more than four points until Eripret's 3-pointer in the final minute gave the Mules a 31-24 advantage, only for Konstanzer to dish off to Sorokanych for a bucket on the other end.
Konstanzer's double-double was her seventh of the season, and she also contributed three blocks, two assists, and two steals. Those numbers were equaled by Stephens, who had seven rebounds.
Morano made all three of her 3-pointers and logged five rebounds and four assists, with Bogiatzis collecting six rebounds to go with four points. Sorokanych had four points and three boards off the bench.
The Bears shot a higher percentage from the field and outrebounded Muhlenberg 45-40, but 16 turnovers led to 20 Mule points. Muhlenberg also went 21-of-33 at the line and drilled six 3-pointers in the first half alone.
Ursinus looks to bounce back on Saturday at Johns Hopkins.